Charge-out rate calculator

What do you actually need to charge an hour? Put in what you want to pay yourself and what the business costs to run. We do the math, including the hours nobody pays you for.

Free · no sign-up

Your numbers

What you want to pay yourself a year (before income tax)$

Super for yourself%12% is the rate employees get. Optional for sole traders, but worth it.Profit buffer%For quiet months, bad debts and growing the business.

Business costs a year

Ute or van (fuel, rego, finance, servicing)$Insurance (public liability, tools, income)$

Tools and equipment$Phone, software, accounting, licences$

Everything else (marketing, website, uniforms, training)$

Your time

Hours you work a weekhrsWeeks off a yearwksHolidays, public holidays, sick days, rain.

Share of your hours you can actually bill%The rest goes on quoting, driving, picking up materials and paperwork. I’m registered for GST (show the rate with GST added)

you need to charge at least

an hour, plus GST

With GST$0
Billable hours a year0
Your pay + super$0
Business costs$0
Profit buffer$0
The business needs to bring in (ex GST)$0
A full billable day (8 hrs)$0

General information only. It’s a guide, not financial or tax advice. Check your figures with your accountant or bookkeeper.

How the charge-out rate is worked out

Most tradies set their rate by looking at what everyone else charges. The trouble is, you don’t know their costs, and you don’t get paid for every hour you work.

This calculator starts from what you need: your pay, super for yourself, what the business costs to run, and a buffer for quiet times. Then it divides that by the hours you can actually bill, after weeks off and the time that goes on quoting, driving and paperwork.

Why the billable hours matter so much

Work 45 hours a week for 45 weeks and that’s 2,025 hours. But if only 70% of that is on a job someone pays for, you’ve got about 1,420 hours to cover a whole year of costs. That gap is why so many tradies feel busy and still broke.

Common questions

What should a tradie charge per hour in Australia?

It depends on your trade, area and costs, which is why a rate worked out from your own numbers beats a guess. This calculator shows the minimum you need to charge to cover your pay, super, costs and a buffer.

Do sole traders have to pay themselves super?

No, super for yourself is optional if you’re a sole trader, but it’s worth building in. Employees must get the super guarantee, which is 12% of ordinary earnings from 1 July 2025.

Is the rate before or after GST?

The big number is before GST. If you’re registered for GST, you add 10% on top when you charge the customer, and that GST goes to the ATO.

for your own website

Want a tool like this on your website?

Handy tools give customers a reason to stay on your site and get in touch. We build them into the websites we make, tailored to your trade. Just ask.

A tiler’s tile calculator
A plumber’s leak cost calculator
A bookkeeper’s tax, GST and super calculators

Check my website free Get my free preview

more free tools

Other handy tools

GST calculatorAdd GST to a price, or take it out of a GST-inclusive total. Shows the ex-GST amount, the GST and the total.Open the tool → Markup vs margin calculatorMarkup and margin aren’t the same thing. Mix them up and you under-quote. Convert between them in seconds.Open the tool → Missed call cost calculatorEvery call you can’t answer is a job that might ring the next tradie. See what missed calls could be costing you in a year.Open the tool → Free quote templateFill in a clean, professional quote on screen, then print it or save it as a PDF. Nothing is stored or sent.Open the tool → Free tax invoice templateA tax invoice with the details the ATO asks for, GST worked out for you. Print it or save it as a PDF.Open the tool → Google review request builderWrite a short, friendly text and email asking a customer for a Google review, with your review link in it. Copy and send.Open the tool →

See all free tools