Free day rate calculator
Most video editors undercharge because they guess their rate instead of calculating it. Set your income goal, adjust for tax, expenses, and utilisation — and see your real minimum day rate alongside UK market benchmarks.
Software, hardware, insurance, accountant, marketing, travel…
After holidays, sick days, and bank holidays. 46 weeks is realistic for most freelancers.
Realistic — accounts for admin, pitching, and gaps between projects.
Your rate aligns with Mid-level (3–5 yrs) market rates. Use this as a floor — charge more if your portfolio justifies it.
Quoting a project? Use the cost calculator to turn your day rate into a full project estimate.
Open cost calculatorFigures are estimates only. Tax rates vary by country, income level, and business structure. Consult an accountant for personalised advice.
The calculator models your income, not just your hours. Tax, expenses, holidays, and utilisation are all factored in.
Start with what you actually want to earn after tax — not a gross figure. The calculator works backwards from your lifestyle goal.
Covers income tax, National Insurance, and any additional tax — adjustable from 10% to 55% to account for different business structures and income levels.
Software, hardware, insurance, accountant fees, storage — add your real annual costs and they're factored into the minimum rate calculation.
Adjustable from 30–100%. The calculator explains what each level means in plain English, so you pick a realistic figure rather than an optimistic one.
Your calculated rate is compared against four experience bands — Junior, Mid-level, Senior, Director — so you can see where you sit in the market.
As well as the day rate, the results panel shows your equivalent hourly rate, half-day rate, and monthly retainer figure.
Takes 3 minutes. Set the sliders honestly and the number won't lie to you.
Choose your desired annual take-home. Be honest about what you need, not what sounds achievable — this is the goal you're pricing towards.
Set your effective tax rate and enter your annual business expenses. Both eat into your day rate — underestimating them means undercharging.
Adjust working weeks, days per week, and billable utilisation. 65–75% is realistic for most established freelancers.
See your minimum day rate, plus hourly and retainer equivalents. Check how it compares to UK market bands for your experience level.
Any video editor who wants to price their work based on actual numbers.
Use it annually when reviewing your rates, or when moving to a new experience level. Set your new floor before the next pitch season.
If you're transitioning from employment, this is the first thing you should run. Your day rate needs to cover taxes and expenses that your employer used to pay.
Use it to build a rate card for your freelance team. If you know the floor rate for different experience levels, you can price projects accurately without squeezing your contractors.
UK market rates in 2024–2026 broadly fall into four bands: Junior editors (1–2 years experience) command £200–£350/day. Mid-level editors (3–5 years) typically charge £350–£550/day. Senior editors (5–10 years) are in the £550–£850/day range. Director-level or specialist VFX editors start at £850/day and can exceed £1,500/day for commercials and broadcast work. These are London-weighted rates; regional rates are typically 15–25% lower.
Start with your desired annual take-home income. Divide it by (1 minus your effective tax rate) to get the gross income you need to earn. Add your annual business expenses (software, hardware, insurance, accountant). Divide the total by your estimated billable days — which is your working weeks × days per week × your utilisation percentage. That gives you the minimum day rate you need to charge. This calculator does all of this for you with sliders.
For mid-level freelance editors in London, the average day rate is approximately £400–£500/day based on industry surveys and job postings in 2024–2025. Outside London, £300–£400/day is more typical for the same experience level. Specialists in motion graphics, 3D, or VFX command significantly higher rates. Day rates for in-house contract roles (often called "extended freelance") tend to be slightly lower than project-based freelance work.
Common annual expenses include: Adobe Creative Cloud or DaVinci Resolve Studio licence (~£600/year), storage drives and cloud backup (~£500–£1,500/year), a professional accountant (~£800–£1,500/year), professional indemnity and public liability insurance (~£400–£600/year), hardware depreciation (amortise your editing machine over 3–4 years), internet and phone bills, any home office costs, and marketing/website costs. Total this accurately — most freelancers underestimate it by £2,000–£5,000/year, which eats directly into margin.
Billable utilisation is the percentage of your available working days that you actually spend on paid client work. The rest goes to business admin, invoicing, pitching new clients, professional development, and gaps between projects. Most established freelancers achieve 65–80% utilisation; those just starting out are often at 40–60%. If you calculate your day rate assuming 100% utilisation but only bill 65% of your days, you'll earn significantly less than your target income.
Three signals: (1) You never lose a pitch on price — if clients always say yes without negotiating, you're almost certainly undercharging. (2) Your take-home is below your target after a full year of work. (3) You're busier than you want to be and can't afford to say no to projects. Use this calculator to work out your floor rate, then compare it to market rates. If your floor is already above market, focus on positioning and portfolio quality to justify higher rates.
Turn your day rate into a quote-ready estimate for any video project type.
Open toolBuild a professional proposal with your rates, deliverables, and payment terms.
Open toolGet the information you need to price a project accurately before committing.
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