How much do freelancers actually take home?

Freelancer take-home pay varies widely based on rate, billable hours, expenses, and taxes. A freelancer charging $85/hr with 25 billable hours/week might take home around $78,000/year after taxes and expenses. Use our calculator to see your specific numbers.

What percentage of revenue do freelancers spend on taxes?

In the US, freelancers typically pay 25-35% of their gross revenue in taxes (self-employment tax + income tax). This varies by location and income level. Our calculator helps you estimate your specific tax burden.

How many billable hours should a freelancer have per week?

Most successful freelancers bill 20-30 hours per week. The rest of their time goes to admin, marketing, and business development. If you're billing 40+ hours consistently, you may be underpricing or working unsustainable hours.

Freelance Earnings Calculator: Your True Take-Home Pay

Result

Your Net Earnings

per year take-home

Monthly

Weekly

Gross Revenue $0

Business Expenses -$0

Taxes -$0

Net Take-Home $0

Earnings Insights

Effective hourly rate: $0/hr

Tax burden: 0% of revenue

Expense ratio: 0% of revenue

Learn about effective hourly rate →

Embed this Earnings Calculator

Copy and paste this code to your site •

Responsive SEO Ready

Free to embed. See who's already using it → and contact us to claim your dofollow credit link.

<iframe src="https://solohourly.com/tools/earnings-calculator" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="0" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius:12px; overflow:hidden;" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>
<div style="text-align:right; font-size:12px; margin-top:8px; color: #6b7280; font-family: sans-serif;">
  Powered by <a href="https://solohourly.com" target="_blank" style="color: #0d9488; font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none;">SoloHourly</a>
</div>

Why Know Your True Earnings?

Most freelancers know their hourly rate, but few understand their actual take-home pay. When you factor in self-employment taxes (15.3% in the US alone), business expenses, and the reality that you won't bill 40 hours every week, the picture changes dramatically.

A freelancer charging $100/hr might think they're earning $208,000/year. But after taxes, software subscriptions, health insurance, and marketing costs, their actual take-home might be closer to $95,000. That's a $113,000 difference — and it's the number that matters for your financial planning.

Our earnings calculator gives you the real number. Use it to set realistic income goals, compare freelance vs employment offers, and understand exactly where your money goes.

Freelance Earnings Calculator

Earnings Insights

Embed this Earnings Calculator

Why Know Your True Earnings?

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools & Resources

Asif Iqbal About the Author