Harvest
Time Tracking
Sign up free

Hourly Rate Calculator for Writers

Freelance writers often struggle to determine the right hourly rate to cover all their expenses. Harvest's flexible time tracking and invoicing tools help writers set appropriate rates by accounting for all their work hours and expenses.

Try Harvest Free

What should you charge per hour?

Most freelancers and consultants dramatically undercharge. This calculator accounts for what most people miss: non-billable time, taxes, and overhead.

$
Accounting for vacation, holidays, sick days
60%
Most freelancers can bill 50-70% of their time. The rest goes to admin, marketing, proposals, and learning.
$
Software, insurance, equipment, accounting, taxes beyond income tax, etc.
Your break-even rate $0
Recommended rate (+20% buffer) $0
Billable hours per week 0h
Equivalent daily rate $0

Start tracking your billable hours

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

Understanding the True Cost of Freelance Writing

For freelance writers, setting the right hourly rate is crucial to ensuring financial sustainability. However, determining this rate can be challenging due to the variety of factors that must be considered. According to research, the average freelance writer in the United States earns between $24.22 and $29 per hour. But this is just an average, and your rate should reflect your unique circumstances, such as experience level, specialization, and market demand.

Writers must account for both billable and non-billable hours. Non-billable hours include time spent on marketing, administrative tasks, and revisions. These are often overlooked but are essential for a realistic rate calculation. By using Harvest, writers can track all these hours effectively, providing a comprehensive view of their work patterns and ensuring every minute is accounted for.

Calculating Your Ideal Hourly Rate

To set an appropriate hourly rate, freelance writers need to consider several key inputs. Start by determining your desired annual income, then factor in business expenses such as software subscriptions, office supplies, and marketing costs. Don't forget to include a buffer for taxes and savings. A good rule of thumb is to set aside around 30% of your income for taxes and retirement savings.

By utilizing an hourly rate calculator, writers can input these variables and see how they impact their rates. Harvest makes this process seamless by allowing customizable rate settings per project or person, making it easier to adjust based on experience, niche, or client type. This flexibility helps writers ensure they are not only covering their expenses but also making a profit.

Maximizing Billable Hours and Efficiency

For freelance writers, maximizing billable hours while maintaining quality output is key to increasing income. Yet, according to industry studies, up to 80% of timesheets contain errors, leading to potential revenue loss. Harvest addresses this issue with its one-click start/stop timers, which automatically log time to specific projects and tasks, reducing manual entry errors.

Additionally, writers can track time spent on client communications and revisions, often significant but underestimated portions of their workload. Harvest's detailed reporting capabilities provide insights into these areas, helping writers identify efficiency improvements and accurately bill for all time worked.

Transitioning to Project-Based Pricing

As freelance writers gain experience, many consider transitioning to project-based or value-based pricing models to better reflect the value of their work. This transition requires understanding how to scope projects and calculate a price that covers all aspects of the work, from research to writing and revisions.

Harvest supports this transition by allowing writers to manage both hourly and fixed fee projects. This flexibility enables writers to experiment with different pricing models and find what works best for their business. By leveraging Harvest's detailed time tracking, writers can confidently negotiate project rates that reflect their true worth and expertise.

Hourly Rate Calculator for Writers with Harvest

See how Harvest helps freelance writers calculate their hourly rate by tracking billable hours, expenses, and income goals.

Harvest hourly rate calculator for writers interface

Hourly Rate Calculator for Writers FAQs

  • To use an hourly rate calculator effectively, you'll need to input your desired annual income, estimated billable hours per year, and total business expenses. This includes costs like software subscriptions, office supplies, and marketing expenses. These inputs help determine a rate that covers your costs and meets your financial goals.

  • Non-billable hours are those spent on tasks like marketing and administrative duties. It's important to track these hours to get a complete picture of your workweek. Harvest allows you to log non-billable time, ensuring you account for all hours worked when setting your hourly rate.

  • Freelance writers should consider expenses such as office supplies, software subscriptions, marketing, and professional development. It's also wise to factor in a buffer for taxes and savings, typically around 30% of your income. These expenses should be included in your hourly rate calculation to ensure profitability.

  • Adjusting your rate based on experience or niche involves evaluating the value you bring to clients. Harvest supports flexible rate settings per project or person, allowing you to charge more for specialized skills or experience. This adaptability helps you align your rates with market demands and personal expertise.

  • A reasonable profit margin for freelance writing typically ranges from 20% to 30% after covering expenses and taxes. This margin ensures that you are compensated fairly for your work while maintaining a sustainable business model. Using a tool like Harvest can help you track expenses and revenue to achieve this balance.

  • Harvest offers one-click start/stop timers, automatic logging, and manual entries to ensure accurate time tracking. Writers can track both billable and non-billable hours, making it easier to bill clients accurately and manage their workload efficiently.

  • Yes, Harvest supports both hourly and fixed fee project types, making it easy for writers to manage different pricing models. This flexibility allows for smooth transitions between pricing strategies, ensuring that you can adapt to client needs and market trends.