---
name: setting-my-freelance-rate
description: "Works out a defensible day rate from your costs, target income, and realistic billable days. Use when the user wants help with Setting My Freelance Rate. Related topics: Freelance, Finance, Business."
---

# Setting My Freelance Rate

Works out a defensible day rate from your costs, target income, and realistic billable days.

## How to use this skill

1. Ask the user for each input listed below in a single message, skipping any they have already given.
2. Where options are listed, offer them, but accept other answers too.
3. Fill the answers into the prompt template, then follow the completed prompt to produce the result.

## Inputs

- **Here is my situation. I do** (free text, e.g. "what you do")
- **current rate and unit** (free text, e.g. "current rate and unit")
- **Input 3** (choose one: under a year, 1-3 years, 3-7 years, over 7 years)
- **country or city** (free text, e.g. "country or city")
- **Input 5** (choose one: startups, agencies, mid-size companies, enterprise, individuals)
- **My money: I want to take home** (free text, e.g. "target annual income after tax")
- **annual total for software** (free text, e.g. "annual total for software")
- **number** (free text, e.g. "number")
- **Things that complicate it** (choose any: I do a lot of unpaid pitching, Clients pay late, I have a couple of retainers, My work is seasonal, I am trying to move upmarket, I subcontract some work out)

## Prompt template

I need help setting my rate, and I want the arithmetic done properly rather than a vibe-based number.

Here is my situation. I do {{Here is my situation. I do}} and I currently charge {{current rate and unit}}. I have been freelancing for {{Input 3}}. I work in {{country or city}} and my clients are mostly {{Input 5}}.

My money: I want to take home {{My money: I want to take home}} a year. My fixed business costs are roughly {{annual total for software}}. Assume {{number}} weeks a year of holiday and sick leave, and assume only some of my working days are billable ones.

Things that complicate it: {{Things that complicate it}}

Walk me from target take-home to a day rate, showing each step so I can argue with your assumptions. Then give me three numbers: the rate I quote by default, the floor I do not go below, and a stretch rate for work I would be slightly nervous taking on. If my current rate sits outside any of those, say by how much.

Separately, give me two sentences I can say when a client pushes back on the new number. One for a client I want to keep, one for a client I would not mind losing.

---

Source: [Setting My Freelance Rate on PromptBuild](https://promptbuild.io/prompt/fcvRU1mO0ZyDFg0AroOg/setting-my-freelance-rate)