Contractor Pay Calculator for 1099 Work
Enter your contractor rate and annual hours. Instantly see what you actually take home after self-employment tax.
Estimates only. Results are based on the inputs you provide. Consult a qualified professional before acting on the output.
About this tool
Most contractors bid and negotiate based on a headline hourly rate without accounting for self-employment tax, quarterly estimated payments, and the absence of employer-provided benefits. This tool translates your posted rate into your actual take-home income, revealing the hidden tax gap that catches independent workers by surprise when they file.
You need this tool if you're a freelancer, consultant, or 1099 contractor setting rates, negotiating a project fee, or comparing offers between contract and full-time work. It works for any service-based contractor: developers, designers, writers, accountants, marketers, and consultants who bill hourly or per-project.
Free online calculators give you a rough percentage estimate; this tool runs the actual tax math, accounts for state variations, and shows you multiple income scenarios (part-time, full-time, peak season) side-by-side. The paid report includes downloadable breakdowns and a year-end filing checklist.
Example: A developer billing $85/hour assumes $176k annual income (40 hrs/week, 52 weeks). The paid report shows actual net pay is closer to $125k after federal and state self-employment tax, health benefits costs, and quarterly estimated filing—revealing they need to raise their rate to $120/hour for true equivalence to a $85/hour W-2 role.
How it works
- Enter your hourly rate, annual hours, and state.
- See your free preview: take-home estimate and effective hourly rate instantly.
- Get the full breakdown with tax scenarios, quarterly payment timeline, and health coverage gap analysis for $0.99.
What's included in the full report
- Detailed month-by-month net income projection
- Quarterly estimated tax payment schedule with filing dates
- State and federal tax breakdown with effective rate
- Comparison: equivalent W-2 salary for your rate
- Downloadable PDF summary and tax prep checklist