Effective Hourly Rate Calculator
See what you actually earn per hour once expenses, fees, and all your hours are counted. Enter your monthly income, costs, and the real hours you put in, and this tool estimates your effective hourly rate before and after a chosen tax set-aside.
Last updated June 2, 2026
Your numbers
All optional- Net monthly income$0
- Hours worked per monthNot set
- Effective hourly rate before set-asideNot set
Counting unpaid hours gives an honest figure. Nothing is saved to the page address.
Assumptions this calculator makes
- Results are estimates based only on the numbers you enter.
- Total hours should include unpaid time such as admin, travel, and communication.
- Fees and expenses are subtracted from income before the hourly rate is calculated.
- Monthly hours use hours per week multiplied by about 4.33.
- The tax set-aside percentage is an optional planning placeholder, not tax advice.
This is an estimate, not advice
Every result here is a rough model based only on the numbers you enter. Sidequity is an informational tool and does not provide professional, tax, legal, investment, or financial advice, and it makes no income guarantees. Any tax set-aside is a planning placeholder, not a tax calculation.
For decisions that affect your money, taxes, or business, review your situation with a qualified professional. See our full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What is an effective hourly rate?
It is your real take-home from an activity divided by all the hours it takes, including unpaid work. It is usually lower than the rate you quote clients or the price tag on a product, because it counts every hour and subtracts costs.
Why count unpaid hours?
Unpaid hours are still hours of your life. If you only count billable or visible time, your hourly rate looks better than reality. Counting everything gives you an honest figure to compare against other uses of your time.
Should I include taxes?
You can add an optional set-aside percentage to see an after-set-aside figure, but that is a rough placeholder, not a tax calculation. Real taxes depend on your full situation and should be reviewed with a qualified professional.
Effective Hourly Rate Calculator last updated June 2, 2026. Back to all calculators.