Billable Hours Calculator

Magdy Hassan

August 9, 2025

51 Views

A comprehensive tool to help freelancers and consultants track and calculate their earnings.

Your Work Details

Hourly Rate (in USD):

Start Time:

End Time:

Non-Billable Time (in minutes):

What are Billable Hours?

Billable hours are the time spent on a project or task that can be charged directly to a client. This is a crucial concept for freelancers, consultants, lawyers, and many other professionals who get paid for their time. Accurately tracking these hours is essential for fair compensation and transparent invoicing.

How to Use This Calculator

**Enter your Hourly Rate:** This is the amount you charge per hour of work.
**Input Start and End Times:** Specify when you began and finished working on the task.
**Log Non-Billable Time:** Account for any breaks, lunch, or time spent on administrative tasks that cannot be billed to the client. This is crucial for an accurate calculation.
**Click "Calculate":** The tool will automatically compute your total billable hours and the total amount due.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Freelance Graphic Designer

A graphic designer works on a logo project. They start at **9:00 AM** and finish at **2:30 PM**. They took a **30-minute** coffee break. With an hourly rate of **$65**, the calculator will show total billable hours of 5.0 and an amount of $325.00.

Example 2: Consulting Project

A consultant is meeting with a client. The meeting starts at **10:00 AM** and ends at **11:15 AM**. There are no breaks. With an hourly rate of **$150**, the total billable hours are 1.25, for a total of $187.50.

Example 3: Web Development Sprint

A developer is working on a new feature. They log in at **8:00 AM** and log out at **5:00 PM**, taking a **60-minute** lunch break. With an hourly rate of **$80**, the tool calculates 8.0 billable hours and a total of $640.00.

Example 4: Writing a blog post

A freelance writer spends from **1:00 PM** to **4:00 PM** on a client's blog post. They have no breaks. With an hourly rate of **$40**, the total billable hours are 3.0, for a total of $120.00.

Example 5: Virtual Assistant Tasks

A virtual assistant completes administrative tasks from **9:30 AM** to **12:00 PM**. They take a **15-minute** break. With an hourly rate of **$25**, the calculator shows 2.25 billable hours and an amount of $56.25.

Example 6: Marketing Strategy Meeting

A marketing specialist has a client meeting from **2:00 PM** to **3:45 PM**. They had a short 10-minute discussion with a colleague that was not billed. With an hourly rate of **$100**, the total billable time is 1.67 hours, and the total amount is $167.00.

Example 7: SEO Analysis

An SEO expert performs an audit from **8:30 AM** to **1:00 PM**. They took a **45-minute** lunch break. With an hourly rate of **$90**, the tool calculates 4.0 billable hours and a total of $360.00.

Example 8: Editing and Proofreading

An editor works on a manuscript from **10:00 AM** until **11:30 AM**. There are no breaks. With an hourly rate of **$55**, the total billable hours are 1.5, for a total of $82.50.

Example 9: Social Media Management

A social media manager schedules posts from **2:00 PM** to **4:30 PM**. They take a **20-minute** break to check personal messages. With an hourly rate of **$45**, the tool calculates 2.17 billable hours and a total of $97.65.

Example 10: Overnight Freelance Project

A freelancer works on a tight deadline from **11:00 PM** on Monday to **2:00 AM** on Tuesday, taking a **15-minute** break. With an hourly rate of **$70**, the calculator correctly accounts for the overnight shift, showing 2.75 billable hours and a total of $192.50.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What exactly are billable hours?

Billable hours are the time you spend on tasks directly related to a client's project that you can charge them for. Non-billable hours are tasks like admin work, marketing, or training that you cannot directly invoice a client for.

2. How is my total amount calculated?

The total amount is calculated by subtracting your non-billable time (in minutes) from the total duration of your work session. This gives you the net billable time in minutes, which is then converted to hours and multiplied by your hourly rate.

3. Does this calculator handle overnight shifts?

Yes, the calculator automatically accounts for overnight shifts. If your end time is earlier than your start time (e.g., 10 PM to 2 AM), it will correctly assume the work spanned into the next day and calculate the duration accurately.

4. Why is it important to track non-billable time?

Accounting for non-billable time ensures that your invoices are accurate and transparent. It also helps you understand how much of your workday is truly productive and can be used to improve your efficiency.

5. What if I have a break longer than an hour?

The calculator uses minutes for non-billable time, so you can easily enter breaks of any length, whether it's a 15-minute coffee break or a 60-minute lunch break.

6. Can I use this for multiple projects in one day?

Yes, you can use this calculator for each project individually. Simply input the start and end times for each specific task and calculate the earnings for each one separately. This is a great way to keep your time tracking organized.

7. What is an appropriate hourly rate?

Your hourly rate depends on many factors, including your industry, experience, location, and the complexity of the project. Researching what other professionals in your field charge is a great starting point.

8. Is it better to charge by the hour or by the project?

Both methods have pros and cons. Charging by the hour is ideal for projects with a flexible scope, as it ensures you're paid for all your time. Charging by the project works well for clearly defined tasks where you know exactly how long it will take.

9. Why is consistent time tracking important for a client?

For a client, consistent time tracking provides transparency and builds trust. It shows them exactly what they are paying for and demonstrates that you are managing your time effectively.

10. What is the best way to handle rounding of hours?

Common practice is to round to the nearest 6, 10, or 15 minutes. For example, a 7-minute task might be rounded up to 10 minutes (0.17 hours) to simplify billing. Our calculator provides a precise decimal value, which you can then round as you see fit for your invoicing.