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Effective Hourly Rate Calculator

Fixed-price projects hide unpaid hours. Count them all and see what you actually earned per hour.

Why your effective rate is lower than you think

Effective hourly rate = (fee − project expenses) ÷ every hour the project took. Calls, emails, revisions, proposals and invoicing are real work, even when nobody is billed for them.

Track your hours on a few fixed-price projects. The gap between "hours on the work" and "total hours" is the buffer you should build into every future quote.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good effective hourly rate?

At least the minimum rate from the freelance hourly rate calculator. Anything below it means the project paid less than your business needs.

Should I count time spent writing the proposal?

Yes. Winning work is part of delivering it. Over a year, sales time is one of the biggest reasons freelance income falls short.

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