Freelance Day Rate Calculator
Turn your hourly rate into a day, half-day, and week rate, or reverse a day rate into an effective hourly. It uses the hours you really bill, not an assumed 8-hour billable day.
1. Hourly → day rate
2. Suggested rates
3. Reverse: day rate → effective hourly
How this works
Day rate = hourly rate × billable hours per day. Week rate = day rate × 5 (only when you're really booking five days). Half-day = day rate × 0.5. Reverse: effective hourly = day rate ÷ billable hours per day.
Worked example (the default numbers): $95/hr × 6 billable hours = $570 a day. Week (5 days) = $2,850. Half-day = $285. Reverse: $570 ÷ 6 = $95/hr, which matches the hourly input.
Billable hours: the part that matters
A workday is rarely 8 billable hours. Email, setup, switching between tasks, and admin all take time you can't bill. If you multiply your hourly rate by 8, you're assuming every hour of the day is billable, which overstates your billable time. Use the hours you really bill instead (6 is common).
- Deep focus days: often 6 to 7 billable hours
- Mixed client work and light admin: often 5 to 6
- Meetings-heavy or on-site: often 5 to 6
Utilization is the share of your workday you actually bill. If your hourly rate is a floor worked out from your real billable hours, it already pays for the unbilled time. So hourly × your real billable hours (for example 6) gives a day rate that covers the whole day, unbilled time included.
More on when a day rate beats hourly: Day rate vs hourly rate for freelancers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an hourly rate to a day rate?
Multiply your hourly rate by the hours you really bill in a day. At $95 an hour and 6 billable hours, that's $570. Reverse it by dividing a day rate by the same billable hours.
Why not just multiply my hourly rate by 8?
Because a workday is rarely 8 billable hours. Email, setup, switching between tasks, and admin take time you can't bill. Multiplying by 8 assumes every hour is billable, which overstates your billable time. Use the hours you really bill (6 is common).
Doesn't using 6 hours leave the unbilled time unpaid?
Not if your hourly rate is a floor worked out from your real billable hours, like the one from the floor-rate calculator. That rate already pays for the unbilled time, so hourly × your real billable hours gives a day rate that covers the whole day. If a client genuinely gets 8 hours of client work on a booked day, those hours are billable, so enter 8.
What does the utilization field do?
It's an optional sanity check. Utilization is the share of an 8-hour day you actually bill. At 75%, that's about 6 hours. The calculator shows that number next to your billable-hours entry so you can see whether they match; the day rate always uses the billable-hours field.
How should I price a half-day?
Half the day rate is the simple default, which is what this calculator shows. A half-day still needs setup and wind-down, so some freelancers charge 55 to 60% of the day rate when switching costs are high.
Does my day rate include tax and business costs?
Only if the hourly rate you start from does. Build tax and overhead into your hourly floor first, then convert. A day rate converted from a gut-feel hourly number inherits the same gap.
Related free tools
- Freelance rate calculator: find the hourly floor to start from.
- Offline copy of this converter: one HTML file you can keep (free, name your price).
- Freelance Rate Cheat Sheet: the floor-rate formula on one printable page.
Want day, week, and retainer packages in a spreadsheet? The paid Rate & Quote Calculator builds them from your floor rate.
Not tax, legal, or financial advice. This calculator is a planning tool. Tax rules and rates vary by location and situation, and pricing depends on your market and skills. Check with a qualified professional before making tax or financial decisions.