Freelance salary replacement calculator
Can you afford to quit your day job?
Enter your current salary and benefits. We calculate the freelance revenue target, hourly rate, and financial runway you need to match your income - before you make the leap.
- No account required
- Inputs stay in your browser
- Transparent assumptions
Example result - $100K salary baseline
$259,543
annual freelance revenue target
- Monthly revenue
- $21,629
- Hourly rate
- $256
- Day rate
- $2,052
Reality check: 22 hrs/wk at $125 falls about $133,000 short of this target.
The Problem
Replacing a $100,000 salary does not mean earning $100,000 as a freelancer.
Employer benefits, self-employment taxes, business expenses, unpaid time, and income risk all stack on top of the headline number. We help you size the real target before you make the move.
How it works
01
Enter your current salary and benefits
Salary, bonus, retirement match, and any optional cash-value benefits you care about.
02
Add your expected business costs and hours
Business expenses, retirement contributions, taxes, and realistic billable capacity.
03
See the revenue, rate, and runway you actually need
A sustainable hourly rate, monthly revenue target, and emergency-fund target.
Transparent assumptions
Every formula appears on the methodology page. We show our work.
No account required
Your inputs live in your browser only. We do not see, store, or send them anywhere.
No hidden product pitch
We do not sell tax, insurance, lending, or financial advisory products.
Common questions
- How is freelance income different from a salary?
- When you go freelance you lose employer-paid benefits (health insurance, retirement match), gain self-employment tax (~15%), and take on business expenses and unpaid gaps between projects. A $100,000 salary typically requires $250,000+ in freelance revenue to replicate the same take-home financial position.
- What does the calculator include?
- It factors in your current salary, bonus, and employer benefits; self-employment taxes; business expenses; health insurance; retirement contributions; a risk buffer for income gaps; and an emergency runway target - giving you an annual revenue goal, minimum hourly rate, and day rate.
- Is my financial data private?
- All calculations run in your browser. Nothing is stored on a server or sent anywhere. There is no account, no tracking of your inputs, and no data sale.
- How accurate is the result?
- The calculator gives a planning estimate, not a tax or financial guarantee. Every formula is published on the methodology page. We recommend using it as a starting point and reviewing the result with a qualified financial or tax professional before making any career decisions.
Ready to see if the numbers work?
Takes about 4 minutes. Nothing leaves your browser.