Where your working week goes
This table uses your numbers above.
| Activity | Hours / week | Share of week |
|---|---|---|
| Enter your numbers above to see this table. | ||
How to use this calculator
- Enter your total working hours per week, including time nobody pays for.
- Estimate your unpaid tasks: admin, sales and marketing, learning and anything else.
- Enter your weeks off. Freelancers aren't paid for vacation or sick days.
- Add your hourly rate to see what your billable hours are worth in a year.
How it's calculated
Worked example
Maria is a freelance copywriter. She works 40 hours a week and takes 6 weeks off. Each week she spends 4 hours on admin, 5 on sales and marketing, 2 on learning and 1 on other unpaid tasks. She charges $75 an hour.
Maria bills 1,288 hours a year, 70% of her working time. Across every hour she works, including unpaid ones, she earns $52.50, not $75.
Tip: track your time for two normal weeks before you trust these numbers. Most people underestimate how long admin and emails take.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good billable percentage for a freelancer?
Around 60–75% is typical for established freelancers. New freelancers who are still finding clients often bill 50% or less, because sales and marketing take up more of the week.
What counts as billable time?
Any time a client pays for: the work itself, and often meetings and revisions if your contract covers them. Time spent finding clients, invoicing and learning is usually not billable.
How can I raise my billable hours?
Batch admin into one block a week, use templates for proposals and invoices, and look for longer projects or retainers so you spend less time finding new work. Or raise your rate, so each billable hour covers more.