Project Hourly Rate
Calculate effective hourly rate for any project from total fee and hours worked.
See how scope creep or extra revisions erode earnings.
Rate = Total Fee / Hours Worked
This calculator divides your total project fee by the number of hours you spent working on it. The result is your effective hourly rate – what you actually earned per hour of effort.
What the variables mean:
- Project Fee – the total amount the client pays you for the project
- Hours Worked – every hour you spent, including meetings, revisions, research, and admin time
Why use this calculator? Freelancers and consultants often quote flat-rate project fees. But without tracking hours, you may not realize your effective rate dropped below minimum wage on a complex project. This tool helps you evaluate whether a project was profitable and set better prices for future work.
Practical example: You accept a website redesign for $3,000. You estimate 30 hours, expecting $100/hour. But revisions push it to 60 hours – your effective rate drops to $50/hour. Tracking this helps you quote more accurately next time or add revision limits to contracts.
Tips:
- Track ALL hours, not just “productive” ones. Admin, emails, and research count.
- Compare your effective rate against your target rate to see which projects are actually worth taking.
- If your rate consistently falls below your target, raise your project fees or tighten scope definitions.
- The calculator also shows your equivalent daily rate based on an 8-hour workday.