Your numbers
What a graphic designer should include in expenses
Typical costs include software subscriptions (design suite, fonts, stock assets), a laptop and monitor, backup storage. Add your own and keep receipts for tax time.
Where unbilled time goes
Graphic Designers commonly lose billable hours to client revisions, discovery calls and file prep. Count these when choosing your billable hours per week.
Pricing models
Common choices are hourly for revisions, fixed project fees for logos and brand identities, monthly retainers for ongoing social and print work.
Tip: Cap revision rounds in the contract; revisions are where unpaid hours hide.
The math
Gross revenue = ($75,000 + $7,000) ÷ 0.72 = $113,889. Billable hours = (52 − 5) × 24 = 1,128. Minimum rate = $113,889 ÷ 1,128 = $101 per hour. See the methodology. Example inputs are illustrations, not market data.
General hourly rate calculator · Tax set-aside · Retainer pricing · All professions
Frequently asked questions
What should a graphic designer charge per hour?
It depends on your target income, costs and billable time. With $75,000 take-home, $7,000 expenses, a 28% tax set-aside, 5 weeks off and 24 billable hours a week, the minimum comes to about $101 per hour. These are example inputs, so enter your own.
How many billable hours does a graphic designer really have?
Many freelancers bill fewer hours than they work because of client revisions, discovery calls and file prep. The example uses 24 billable hours a week; track your own time to find your number.
How should a graphic designer price work?
Common models are hourly for revisions, fixed project fees for logos and brand identities, monthly retainers for ongoing social and print work.
Is this the rate I should quote?
No. It is the minimum that meets your targets. Add margin for demand, specialty and risk.