How do consultants calculate their hourly rate?

Start from the income you want, add the costs an employer used to cover, and divide by the hours clients will actually pay for in a year.

How do I turn an hourly rate into a day rate?

Multiply it by the paid hours in a day, usually 8. The calculator shows the day rate when you work in dollars.

How many billable hours should a consultant plan for?

Fewer than a full working week. Many plan for 20 to 30 paid hours a week; use your own estimate.

Can I use rupees instead of dollars?

Yes. Switch to Salary in rupees and enter your CTC in lakhs; the result is still shown in dollars and rupees.

Free tool

Consultant rate calculator: salary to hourly and day rate

A consultant rate calculator turns the salary you want to replace into the hourly rate you need: add the costs your employer covered, then divide by the hours clients will pay for, not the hours you work. On a $90,000 salary with 30% costs and 1,100 paid hours a year, that is about $107 an hour, or about $851 for a day of 8 paid hours.

Your yearly salary$90 k

In thousands of US dollars, before tax

Hours clients pay you for each week25 hrs

Not hours worked. Finding clients, admin and learning are unpaid.

Weeks you work in a year44 wks

Leave room for holidays, illness and months with less work

Costs your employer paid for you30 %

Laptop, software, internet, insurance, tax savings, platform fees

To match your salary, charge at least

$107 an hour

That is about $851 for a day of 8 paid hours.

Salary plus costs your employer paid: $117,000
Hours clients pay for in a year: 1,100

This is your minimum, not what the market pays. Below this rate, freelancing pays you less than your job does.

From salary to consulting rate

Consultants are rarely paid for every hour they work. Business development, proposals, travel and admin take time that no client pays for, so a consulting rate has to cover them. The calculator asks how many hours clients will pay you for each week and how many weeks you will work, then spreads your salary and costs across those hours only.

Switch the calculator to rupees if you are moving from a job in India, or keep it in dollars if your salary was in dollars.

Hourly, day rate or project fee

Many consultants quote a day rate or a fixed project fee rather than an hourly rate. A day rate is your hourly rate times the paid hours in a day, usually 8. A project fee is your estimate of the paid hours the project needs, times your rate, with room for the unknowns. The calculator shows the day rate under the hourly figure when you work in dollars.

Treat the number as a floor, because what the market pays for your expertise can be well above it, and the rates guide explains how to find that number.

Questions people ask

How do consultants calculate their hourly rate?: Start from the income you want, add the costs an employer used to cover, and divide by the hours clients will actually pay for in a year.
How do I turn an hourly rate into a day rate?: Multiply it by the paid hours in a day, usually 8. The calculator shows the day rate when you work in dollars.
How many billable hours should a consultant plan for?: Fewer than a full working week. Many plan for 20 to 30 paid hours a week; use your own estimate.
Can I use rupees instead of dollars?: Yes. Switch to Salary in rupees and enter your CTC in lakhs; the result is still shown in dollars and rupees.

Last checked on 4 October 2026.