Why freelance rates look high
An employee's salary covers 2,080 paid hours. A freelancer pays their own taxes, software and insurance, takes unpaid time off, and spends a third of the week on sales, email and admin nobody pays for. A $90,000 take-home goal can need well over $100 an hour.
The levers that matter most
- Billable share. Going from 55% to 70% billable is like a 27% raise.
- Weeks off. Plan for them up front instead of hoping to make them up.
- Scheduling overhead. Every back-and-forth email to find a time is unbilled. A booking link removes it.