How much should I charge as a freelancer?
Short answer
Take your target take-home, divide by ~1,000 billable hours/year, then multiply by 1.6–2× to cover taxes, expenses, and unbilled time. For most senior freelancers in the US/EU that lands at $90–$200/hour.
The biggest pricing mistake freelancers make is quoting their target effective hourly rate as their billed rate. Only ~50–60% of your week is actually billable. Add 15.3% self-employment tax (US), 5–10% software/insurance/admin, and the math forces a 1.6–2× multiplier on top of what you want to take home.
If your target take-home is $100k and you can sustainably bill 1,000 hours/year, your floor billed rate is $160–$200/hour. Anything less and you're either undercharging or planning to work nights and weekends to catch up.
| Segment | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior generalist / VA | $30 | $50 | $80 |
| Mid-level designer / dev / writer | $60 | $95 | $150 |
| Senior specialist / fractional exec | $120 | $180 | $350+ |
Caveats
- Region matters less than people think — globally distributed clients pay closer to NYC/SF rates than to your local market.
- Project pricing usually beats hourly once you know your speed for a given deliverable.
- Always quote in your strongest currency. Currency arbitrage is a real lever for freelancers in lower-cost regions.