Ireland · Pure-math tool

Freelance hourly rate calculator

Q: How much should I charge as a freelancer in Ireland?

Take the income you want, add a margin for overhead, then divide by the days you can actually bill in a year. For €60,000 target income with 20% overhead over 220 billable days, you need about €327 a day or €41 an hour.

Q: How many billable days should I use?

Far fewer than 365. After weekends, holidays, admin, sales and gaps between clients, many full-time freelancers bill 200 to 230 days a year. 220 is a realistic starting point.

Q: What counts as overhead?

Business costs you must cover before you keep anything: software, equipment, insurance, accounting, pension, training and unpaid time. Entering it as a percentage marks up your rate so these are covered.

To take home €60,000 with 20% overhead over 220 billable days, charge about €327 a day — roughly €41 an hour.

Target annual income € / year

€

Billable days per year

Overhead % on top

Day rate to charge

€327

Hourly (8h day)

€41

Revenue needed

€72,000

How the freelance hourly rate calculator works

Charging your "salary divided by hours" is the classic freelancer mistake — it ignores overhead and the days you can't bill. This tool works backwards from what you want to keep:

Revenue = Target income × (1 + Overhead%) · Day rate = Revenue ÷ Billable days · Hourly = Day rate ÷ 8

To keep €60,000, add 20% overhead to reach €72,000 of revenue, then spread it over 220 billable days — about €327 a day, or €41 an hour on an 8-hour day. Pure arithmetic, no tax data, so it never goes stale.

Want the take-home after tax on that income? Use the net salary calculator, and see calculators for freelancers in Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I charge as a freelancer in Ireland?

Add overhead to the income you want, then divide by billable days. €60,000 + 20% = €72,000 ÷ 220 days ≈ €327/day (~€41/hour).

How many billable days should I use?

After weekends, holidays, admin and sales, many full-time freelancers bill 200–230 days a year. 220 is a realistic default.

What should overhead include?

Software, equipment, insurance, accounting, pension, training and unpaid time — anything you must cover before you keep a cent.

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Reviewed by the NetPayHub editorial team
Pure arithmetic — no tax data used. Last updated: 29 May 2026.

A pricing aid, not tax or financial advice. See our methodology; for take-home pay use the net salary calculator.