Why This Exists
Pricing freelance work is hard. Most freelancers either guess, ask friends, or copy what competitors charge — without knowing whether those numbers are accurate. This tool was built to replace guesswork with data. Enter your industry, experience, and location, and you get a recommended rate range based on real marketplace data, updated quarterly.
It's free, requires no signup, and all calculations happen in your browser — your data never leaves your device.
How the Calculator Works
1. Select your industry — 8 categories from Graphic Design to Business Consulting.
2. Choose your experience level — Beginner (0–2 years), Intermediate (3–5 years), or Expert (6+ years).
3. Set your location — rates are adjusted for local cost of living using real COL indices.
4. Optional: pick a project type — get a flat-rate estimate for specific deliverables.
The result shows your recommended hourly rate range, a percentile breakdown (so you know where you stand in the market), and an estimated project rate if you selected a project type.
Data Methodology
Our rate estimates come from aggregating publicly available data from multiple sources, refreshed automatically each quarter:
- Freelance marketplaces: Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal — actual posted and completed project rates
- Industry salary surveys: Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, AIGA Design Salary Survey
- Cost-of-living data: Numbeo, World Bank PPP indices — adjusted per region and city
- Professional associations: Freelancers Union, Graphic Artists Guild Pricing & Ethical Guidelines
Rate data is stored as simple TOML files and the entire pipeline is automated — a script researches current rates, an LLM synthesizes the findings into structured data, and the site rebuilds automatically. No human guesswork.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides educational estimates based on aggregated market data. Rates are for informational purposes only and do not constitute business, financial, or legal advice. Your actual rates depend on your specific skills, portfolio quality, client budget, niche expertise, and market conditions.
Always do your own research before setting rates. Test your pricing with real clients. The best signal is client response — if everyone says yes immediately, you're probably undercharging.