What is a good freelance hourly rate in the Netherlands? How to work it out
What do you charge per hour? For many freelancers (ZZP'ers) this is a hard question. Charge too little and you keep nothing. Charge too much and you fear losing clients.
The good news: you can simply calculate your rate. You don't guess — you start from what you need.
A rate is not a salary
A common mistake: comparing your hourly rate to an hourly wage in employment. That is wrong. As a freelancer you pay for:
- Costs (laptop, software, insurance, accountant).
- Tax on your profit.
- Hours nobody pays for (admin, finding clients, writing quotes).
- No paid leave — you pay for holidays and sick days yourself.
- Pension and a buffer for quiet months.
That is why a freelance rate is always higher than an hourly wage. It is not a luxury — it is necessary.
Work it out in four steps
Step 1 — What do you want to earn per year? Start with the amount you need to live on. For example € 40,000.
Step 2 — Add your costs. Include your yearly business costs. For example € 8,000.
Step 3 — How many hours do you really work for clients? A year has many hours, but not all are paid. Take out holidays, sick days, admin and finding clients. Often about 1,000 to 1,200 billable hours remain.
Step 4 — Divide and round. Divide your total (earnings + costs, plus a buffer for tax) by your billable hours. That gives you a rate per hour.
Rule of thumb: don't use all 2,080 working hours of a full-time year. Use the hours clients actually pay for. That makes a big difference.
Also look at the market
Your calculation gives you a floor: below this you earn too little. Then look at what is normal in your field and region. Well below average? Your rate can often go up.
Calculate your rate quickly
You don't have to do this by hand. BoekBrug's free hourly-rate tool asks what you want to earn and how many hours you work, and calculates your rate for you. Then you can use your new rate to make a neat invoice straight away.
Try it below.