Free tool
Hourly and day rate calculator
Find the hourly and day rate you need to charge to reach your target income and cover your costs, based on how many hours you can realistically bill. Change the numbers to see the effect of holidays and non-billable work.
How the rate is calculated
The rate has to pay for your income and the costs of running the business out of the hours you can actually bill. The formula is: (target income + costs) ÷ (working weeks × hours per week × billable share).
Billable share matters most. Sales, admin, training and gaps between projects are real work that no client pays for - many consultancies bill between 60 % and 75 % of their working time.
With CHF 120,000 of target income, CHF 20,000 of costs, 44 working weeks of 40 hours and 65 % billable, you bill 1,144 hours a year and need about CHF 122 per hour, or about CHF 980 per day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my hourly rate as a consultant?
Add your target income and your yearly business costs, then divide by the hours you can bill in a year: working weeks × hours per week × the share of time that is billable.
What billable share is realistic?
It depends on the business, but many consultancies and agencies bill between 60 % and 75 % of working time; the rest goes to sales, admin and learning.
How do I convert an hourly rate to a day rate?
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours in a billable day, usually 8. This calculator uses 8 hours per day.
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