A $100/hr freelance rate is not the same as a $100/hr employee rate. Here's the real conversion.
Employer payroll tax contribution (7.65%), health insurance, retirement contributions, paid time off, equipment, and job security. These are often worth 30–40% of base salary in total.
To match a $70k employee salary as a freelancer, you generally need to earn $95k–$110k gross to end up in the same net position — before accounting for the fact that freelancers often have unpaid gaps between clients.
Rather than using a rule of thumb, the freelance rate calculator builds your specific number from your income target, your tax situation, your billable percentage, and your actual business expenses — giving you a rate that actually covers your real costs.