Freelance & Hiring Calculators
Three calculators and four guides on the people side of business — what to charge as a freelancer, what an employee actually costs after taxes and overhead, and how to decide between hiring versus contracting.
Most freelancers set their rates by looking at competitor pricing on job boards and undercutting by 10%. Most first-time employers offer a salary based on the gross number without realising the true cost is 25–45% higher. Both mistakes are avoidable with five minutes of arithmetic.
The Freelance Rate Calculator works backward from your annual income goal, billable hours, and tax buffer to a defensible hourly rate. The Employee Cost Calculator does the inverse for businesses — it adds employer taxes, benefits, equipment, training, and overhead on top of the salary to show the all-in annual cost per hire.
The cross-decision is hire-versus-contract: at what day rate does a contractor cost less than a salaried employee? The guide answers that with a side-by-side cost comparison for a typical mid-senior role.
Calculators in this topic
Guides
How Much Should I Charge as a Freelancer?
From annual income target to hourly rate — including the tax buffer most freelancers forget.
Read →UK Freelance Rates by Industry (2026 Benchmarks)
Typical day and hourly rates across design, dev, marketing, copywriting, and consulting in the UK.
Read →The True Cost of an Employee (It's More Than the Salary)
Payroll tax, benefits, equipment, training, overhead — the all-in cost of a hire and why it's usually 30-45% on top of salary.
Read →Employee vs Contractor: Which Costs Less?
Side-by-side cost comparison for a typical $60k role — and when each makes sense.
Read →
Freelance & Hiring — frequently asked questions
How much should I charge as a freelancer?
What does an employee really cost beyond salary?
When does hiring beat contracting on cost?
Do I need to register for VAT as a freelancer?
Related topics
For information only. This calculator does not constitute financial, accounting, or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional before making business decisions.