Consulting & Service Hourly Rate Calculator 2026
Most freelancers price their hours too low because they forget vacation, sickness, admin time, taxes and a profit margin. This calculator turns a desired net annual income into a defensible hourly rate for Switzerland, Germany, France or Italy. Enter your target net income, working weeks, vacation weeks, billable hours per day, your non-billable percentage and your business expenses. The tool grosses up for country-specific taxes and social contributions, then divides by your actual billable hours. Example: a Swiss freelancer wanting CHF 100,000 net, 45 weeks worked, 5 weeks vacation, 6 billable hours/day, 30% non-billable time and CHF 1,500/month expenses needs about CHF 160/h to hit the goal — closer to CHF 195/h with a 20% profit margin. Last updated June 2026.
How to use this calculator
- 01Set the net annual income you want to keep.
- 02Pick your country — taxes and social contributions differ.
- 03Adjust working and vacation weeks to your reality.
- 04Set billable hours per day and the non-billable percentage.
- 05Add monthly expenses, bad-debt provision and target profit margin.
- •Self-employed Swiss freelancers pay 10.0% AHV plus full income tax.
- •A realistic billable-time share is 50–65% of actual working hours.
- •Always price in a 5–10% bad-debt provision — invoices do go unpaid.
- •A 20% profit margin on top covers slow months and reinvestment.
- •Day rate ≈ hourly × 8; weekly rate ≈ daily × 4 (factoring discounts).
Frequently asked questions
How do I set my freelance hourly rate?
Start from the net income you want to take home. Add your business expenses and taxes, divide by the number of hours you can realistically bill per year, and add a 15–25% profit margin.
How many hours can a freelancer really bill per year?
After holidays, sickness, admin and marketing, most consultants bill 800–1,200 hours per year — far less than the 1,800–2,000 of an employee.
Should I include a profit margin in my rate?
Yes. The salary you pay yourself only replaces wages; the profit margin covers slow months, equipment, training and reinvestment in the business.
How do I handle VAT in my rate?
Price your hourly rate excluding VAT. Above the CH CHF 100,000 / EU country thresholds you must add VAT on top of the invoice.
Is it better to charge per hour or per project?
Project pricing usually pays more once you are efficient. Use the hourly calculator as a floor — never quote a fixed price that translates to a lower hourly rate than your minimum.
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