Free calculator
Should I Go Freelance?
Compare your current job's true value — salary plus benefits — against the freelance hours you'd actually need to bill to match it.
Estimate of health insurance, retirement match, and paid leave — things you'd have to pay for yourself as a freelancer.
Not sure? Use the Rate Calculator first.
Hours needed to break even
24.2 hrs/week
You have a surplus of 5.8 hrs — going freelance at this rate could work.
Break-even breakdown
This compares income only. Also weigh job security, health insurance access in your country, and how steady your freelance client pipeline really is before deciding.
How this calculator works
Your employer salary isn't the full picture. Benefits like health insurance, retirement match, and paid leave have real dollar value — and as a freelancer, you pay for those yourself. This tool adds salary and benefits together, then divides by your freelance rate to show how many billable hours you'd need each week to break even.
Don't know your freelance rate yet? Use the Rate Calculator first, then plug that number in here.
Setting up your freelance workspace
A comfortable setup and simple planning tools can make the transition easier — nothing fancy required.
Heads up: links below are affiliate links — if you buy or sign up through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Getting paid internationally?
Compare how much PayPal, Wise, and Payoneer take from your client payments.
Learn more