Day rate calculator
A day rate is not eight times your hourly. You deliver about six focused hours in a real day, and a booked day blocks your whole calendar, which deserves a premium. This prices both honestly.
Results
Quote per day$648
- Floor (hours × hourly, no premium)
- $540
- Full week
- $3,240
- Effective rate per delivered hour
- $108
Estimate
workingfigures.com/calculators/day-rate-calculator
The formula
Day rate = hourly × focused hours × (1 + premium). Week = day rate × days. The premium compensates the blocked calendar, not extra work.
What this ignores
Travel days, on-site expenses, and multi-week discounts (long bookings can trade premium for certainty). It prices a standard booked day, not an engagement contract.
FAQ
- Why charge a premium for a full day?
- Because a booked day has an opportunity cost scattered hours do not: you cannot take calls, squeeze in another client, or move it. Certainty for the client, rigidity for you; rigidity has a price.
- Client says the day rate is more than 8 times my hourly. Now what?
- Explain what a day buys: guaranteed availability, full focus, no context switching with other clients. If they only want cheap hours, sell them hours; the day rate is a different product.
- Should long engagements get a discount?
- A multi-week booking can justify trimming the premium, because it buys YOU certainty too. Keep the floor intact; discount only the premium, and say so explicitly in the quote.