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Artist CreatedFreelance day rate calculator

What should your day rate be?

For artists, designers, photographers, musicians, writers, crew and any other freelance creative. Most freelancers pick a day rate by guessing what clients will pay. This works the other way: start with what you need to live on, add your costs and tax, and take off the days you can't charge for. The answer is your minimum, not your ceiling.

Where do you work and pay tax?

A guide, not tax advice

What you'd spend on rent, food and life, after tax.

Studio, kit, software, insurance, website, travel, memberships, an accountant.

No employer pays into it for you. This treats it as saved from your take-home.

Used to compare your rate with published guidance.

If an agent or booking platform takes a cut, your rate has to cover it.

Change the days you can't charge for

A year has about 260 weekdays. You won't be paid for all of them.

Admin, pitching, marketing, studio and research time, and gaps between jobs.

Your minimum rates

Where the money goes

How your rate compares

How this was worked out
    Using your day rate
    • It's a floor. Charge more for rush jobs, big clients, specialist skills or work that uses your name and reputation.
    • Price by the job too. For a gig, session, shoot or piece of writing, estimate the days it really takes, including travel, preparation and admin, and multiply by your rate.
    • Use it to quote commissions. Days of work × your day rate, plus materials, expenses and any licence fee. The commission calculator does this for you.
    • Set aside the tax share from every invoice in a separate account, so the tax bill isn't a shock.
    • Check it each year. Raise it as your experience grows, and if you get fewer paid days than you planned.
    • Payments on account can mean your second tax year asks for more at once. Ask an accountant how it affects you.
    Where the figures come from