Freelance Rate Calculator

I built this template because I needed a reliable system for figuring out my freelance rates. If you’ve ever freelanced, you know how wildly rates can vary for the same type of service.

The usual advice is to “charge your worth,” but I’ve always found that confusing — and honestly, a bit limiting. Your “worth” in business isn’t fixed; it shifts with supply, demand, and context. By the time you've honed in on an “industry average”, the market has already shifted.

So instead, I took a more practical route. I followed the logic of lifestyle businesses: define the life you want first, then build your numbers around it. This template breaks that process into a simple workbook you can revisit and refine every quarter.

Workflow: Every quarter, answer this workbook to build clarity on your freelance rates.