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Day Rate Calculator (UK)
Software, insurance, accountancy, equipment, travel, training.
Buffer for late payments, quiet months, and scope creep.
Assume 3-4 billable days a week. Sales, admin, and gaps between projects take the rest.
You should charge at least
£389 / day
- Billable days per year
- 184
- Equivalent hourly rate (7.5h day)
- £52
- Covers income + costs of
- £65,000
Figures are before income tax and National Insurance. This is a pricing guide, not financial advice.
Earn more from the days you already bill
Charging more is one way. Spending fewer hours on unpaid admin is the other. Book fifteen free minutes and we will show you which of that admin can run itself.
Behind the tool
Why day rates go wrong
The classic mistake is dividing a target salary by 260 working days. Employees get paid for 260 days but freelancers don't bill 260 days - once you remove holidays, bank holidays, sick days, sales calls, admin, and the gaps between projects, most independent professionals bill 3-4 days a week at best. Price for the days you'll actually invoice, not the days you'll work.
The calculator also adds your business costs (software, insurance, accountancy, kit) and a safety margin for late payers and quiet months - because a rate that only works in a perfect year isn't a rate, it's a gamble.
Both directions covered
Use Income → day rate when you're setting or reviewing your price, and Day rate → annual to sanity-check what a quoted rate really amounts to over a year. And since unbillable admin is the silent killer of freelance income, see what you could hand off with the AI ROI calculator - or price your client meetings with the meeting cost calculator.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my day rate from a salary?
Add your target annual income and business costs, divide by your realistic billable days per year, then add a safety margin. Billable days = (52 minus weeks off) × billable days per week. A common mistake is assuming 5 billable days a week and 260 days a year - after sales, admin, holidays, and gaps between projects, most freelancers actually bill 140-180 days.
What is a typical freelance day rate in the UK?
It varies hugely by field: £200-£350 for junior creative and admin work, £350-£550 for experienced specialists (design, development, marketing), and £550-£900+ for senior consultants and contractors in tech, finance, and strategy. The calculator works backwards from the income you need rather than the market average - both numbers matter when you set your price.
Why shouldn't I just divide my old salary by 260?
Because an employer paid for your holidays, sick days, pension, equipment, software, and the hours you spent in meetings rather than billing. As a freelancer you carry all of that, plus the unbillable time you spend finding work. Dividing a £60,000 salary by 260 gives £231 a day; the realistic equivalent with 4 billable days a week, 6 weeks off, and £5,000 of costs is over £400.
Is the result before or after tax?
Before tax. The day rate covers your target gross income plus business costs - income tax, National Insurance, and (if applicable) VAT registration and corporation tax depend on how you structure your business, so confirm take-home figures with an accountant. This calculator is a pricing guide, not financial advice.
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