How to calculate your day rate.

Your day rate (TJM in French) is the price of one working day billed to your client. It is expressed excluding VAT and is the basis of your revenue: day rate × number of days billed.

A day rate that is too low means working a lot for little income; one that is too high keeps you away from assignments. The right approach is to calculate a minimum day rate, then compare it with the market.

Start from your needs: the annual income you want, taking into account your current salary if you are employed, your personal expenses and your savings goals.

Also think about what an employer used to pay for: health cover, meal vouchers, equipment, training. As a freelancer, these become your own costs.

A year does not have 365 billable days. Here is a common estimate:

Also allow a margin for gaps between assignments. To stay on the safe side, you can base your calculation on around 200 days a year.

Your revenue needs to cover much more than your income:

• social security contributions, which depend on your status;
• business expenses: equipment, software, travel, training;
• insurance, such as professional liability insurance;
• management or accounting fees for your business;
• the taxes that apply to your status.

Your minimum day rate is a floor. What you can actually charge depends on the market:

• your expertise and level of experience;
• how rare the technologies you master are;
• the client’s sector and size;
• the assignment’s location and how much remote work it allows;
• the length of the assignment.

To benchmark yourself, talk to other freelancers in your field, look at assignment listings and ask the intermediaries you work with.

• Quote a day rate consistent with your calculation and the market, leaving reasonable room for negotiation.
• Highlight the value you bring: results achieved, rare expertise, autonomy.
• Review your day rate when an assignment is renewed or with a new client, as your experience grows.