Contractor & Freelance Economics
Going independent carries risks, taxes, and missing benefits. Use these tools to figure out a rate based on your own budget and expected billable time.
Start with the decision you face
- Compare a specific contract with employment: enter offered pay, billable weeks and replacement costs.
- Build a rate from an annual budget: choose your income target and overhead markup, then divide by paid hours.
- Check cash runway: see how long available savings cover spending and test fewer billable hours.
The two rate tools use different overhead conventions: one deducts a share of revenue, the other adds a markup to a target. Read the worked comparison before transferring a percentage between them.
Use actual insurance quotes, business costs and expected paid time. There is no universal contractor premium. US tax context appears in the contractor pay guide; these tools do not calculate an individual tax return.
Freelance & Contractor Tools
Contractor vs Employee Calculator: 1099 vs W-2
Compare a 1099 hourly rate with a W-2 salary. Calculate your break-even contractor rate after unbillable weeks, benefits and business costs.
Freelance Rate Calculator: What Should You Charge?
Calculate your minimum freelance hourly rate based on target income, overhead costs, and realistic billable hours. Stop undercharging.
Freelance Runway & Revenue Buffer Calculator
Estimate cash runway and an hourly revenue target using your own spending, contingency and billable hours.