Freelance Break-Even Rate
Work backwards from your current salary and employer pension to the hourly freelance rate your planned billable time needs to support.
YOUR BREAK-EVEN RATE
The freelance rate you need
This is the hourly rate required to match the gross value of your salary plus employer pension.
Required freelance rateThis is the hourly rate needed across your chosen billable hours and weeks to equal your employment package value.
£57.07/hrBased on your planned billable workloadEmployment package to match£52,500Salary + employer pension
Current salary£50,000
Employer pension5%
Billable hrs/week20
Weeks/year46
YOUR WORKLOAD
What that rate is based on
Billable hours per week20
Freelance weeks per year46
Annual billable hours920
Fewer billable hours means each hour needs to carry more of your annual income target.
NEARBY SCENARIOS
What different rates could earn
£50/hr£46,000/year
£55/hr£50,600/year
£60/hr£55,200/year
£65/hr£59,800/year
Remember: this is a gross break-even figure
Tax, National Insurance, business expenses, insurance, unpaid admin time and sick leave can all push the freelance rate you actually need higher.
Calculation assumptionsSee what this break-even estimate includesDetails
- Your employment package is based on salary plus employer pension.
- Freelance income is calculated from your selected billable hours and weeks worked.
- Income Tax and National Insurance are not included.
- Business expenses and insurance are not included.
- Unpaid admin, sales time and sick leave are not separately modelled.
- Results are estimates for comparison, not financial advice.