What to charge, how many clients you need, and whether retainers beat hourly. Free, no signup.
Type your monthly take-home goal, business expenses, weekly work hours, non-billable percentage, and current hourly rate into the Your numbers card. Placeholders are editable starting points, not recommendations. The tool converts weekly hours to monthly using 4.33 weeks per month, subtracts your non-billable percentage, then divides goal plus expenses by the remaining billable hours to show the rate you need. A verdict says whether your current rate covers the goal or states the exact per-hour gap, plus a hint showing your monthly billable hours.
Add a row per client in the Client mix card: name, type (hourly or retainer), hours per week, and rate per hour; retainer rates should already include any discount. The tool totals projected monthly revenue, committed hours per week, and capacity used. The bar turns red past 100 percent, and the gap line shows how far short of the goal the mix falls or confirms it is met.
Use the Retainer package builder to price a monthly package: package hours per month, your hourly rate, a discount capped at 50 percent, and the number of clients taking it. It returns the package price, the effective hourly rate after the discount, and total recurring revenue.
Example only, not typical earnings.
Say a virtual assistant wants $4,000 per month after $150 of business expenses, works 30 hours per week, and spends 20 percent of that time on non-billable work like admin and proposals. Billable hours per month: 30 x 4.33 x 0.80 = 103.92 hours. Required rate: (4000 + 150) / 103.92 = $39.94 per hour. If her current rate is $30 per hour, the verdict shows an amber gap of $9.94 per hour.
Add two clients to the Client mix: Client A at 10 hours per week and $40 per hour, Client B on retainer at 8 hours per week and $38 per hour. Projected monthly revenue: (10 x 40 + 8 x 38) x 4.33 = 704 x 4.33 = $3,048.32, rounded to $3,048 in the display. Committed hours: 18 per week, so capacity used is 18 / 30 = 60 percent. Gap to goal: 4000 - 3048.32 = $951.68 short, displayed as $952 short.
Finally, package the work: 20 hours per month at $40 per hour with a 10 percent retainer discount gives a package price of 20 x 40 x 0.90 = $720 per month, an effective rate of $36.00 per hour, and with 3 clients on the package, $2,160 of recurring revenue.
How does the tool calculate the rate I need to charge?
It adds your monthly take-home goal to your monthly business expenses, then divides that total by your billable hours per month. Billable hours come from your available weekly hours multiplied by 4.33 weeks per month, reduced by your non-billable time percentage. The result is the minimum hourly rate that covers both your goal and your expenses. Your entries are saved in your browser's local storage so the numbers are still there next time you open the page, and the page states that your numbers never leave your device. This is a planning estimate, not financial or tax advice.
Why does the tool use 4.33 weeks per month?
Because a year has 52 weeks and 12 months, so the average month is 52 / 12 = 4.33 weeks long. Using 4 weeks would understate a full month by about 8 percent. Every monthly figure in the tool, from billable hours to projected revenue, uses this same factor, which is why the Client mix hint states revenue uses 4.33 weeks per month.
Do I enter my retainer rate before or after the discount?
Enter the rate after the discount. The Client mix card has no separate discount field, so the per-hour rate you type for a retainer client should be the discounted rate they actually pay. The Retainer package builder is the place where the discount is explicit: it takes your full hourly rate and a discount percentage, capped at 50 percent, and shows the resulting package price and effective hourly rate.
What does the capacity bar tell me?
It compares your committed client hours per week against the work hours you said were available. At 100 percent you are fully booked; past 100 percent the bar turns red, which means you have promised more hours than you have. That is your cue to raise rates, trim non-billable time, drop a client, or add hours before burnout decides for you.
Does this tool give tax or legal advice?
No. It is a planning aid that turns your own numbers into a required rate, a revenue projection, and package prices. The page footer says the results are estimates for planning only. For tax treatment of self-employment income, deductible business expenses, or contract terms, check with a qualified professional.