Free tool

Contractor hourly rate calculator

Going out on your own? The wage you want is not the rate you charge. Enter what you want to take home, how many hours you can actually bill, and your overhead, and this finds the rate you need.

What should my hourly rate be?

Only billable hours count, not every hour you work.

$
$
hrs
wks
Charge at least
$0/hr
Revenue you need per year$0
Billable hours per year0

Free to use, nothing to sign up for. Want it done for you on every estimate? Start free →

Why your hourly rate is higher than your wage

New contractors set their rate at what they used to earn per hour on a paycheck, and then wonder why they are broke. The catch is billable hours. You do not bill 40 hours a week; you bill the hours you are actually on a job, minus the time spent quoting, driving, buying material, and chasing payment. Spread your target income and your overhead across only the hours you can really bill, and the honest rate is a lot higher than your old wage.

Charge that rate with confidence. The contractor who knows their number does not flinch when a customer pushes back.

Then price whole jobs with the job price calculator or read how to bid a job and still make money.

Stop doing this math by hand

SayEstimate prices every line in your own rates, marks it up to your target, and puts a deposit on the estimate automatically. 14 days free, no card.

Start free. 14 days