Kefiw

Archived noindex page. Kefiw's public focus is Property decision help.

Archived page

This older Kefiw page is kept for reference, marked noindex, and removed from the primary sitemap. The current Kefiw experience is focused on property decisions: cost, quotes, damage, buying, selling, owning, and packets.

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Minimum Viable Rate

Minimum freelance hourly to match a corporate salary after invisible costs.

Annual need (salary + benefits + overhead) divided by effective billable hours (weeks × hours × utilization). Utilization is the hidden lever — at 60%, 40 weekly hours becomes 24 actually billable.

Part of: Saving & Spending Calculators

Start below
Fields marked optional can be skipped; results update as you type
MINIMUM_VIABLE_RATE
Freelancer reality check — rate that matches a corporate salary after invisible costs
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MINIMUM VIABLE RATE
$130/hr
Based on 1128 effective billable hours/year (60% utilization).
WAGE COMPARISON
Living Rate$61/hr
Target Rate$130/hr
Annual Need
$147,000
Eff. Billable Hours
1128/yr
Living Rate
$61/hr
Overhead Share
18%
▸ METHODOLOGY
MVR = (salary + benefits + overhead) ÷ (weeks × hours × utilization). Utilization captures non-billable time (admin, sales, sick days) — at 60%, 40 weekly hours becomes 24 billable. Benefits value should reflect health insurance, 401k, paid time off. Overhead covers tools, accounting, equipment.

How to use

  1. Enter Target Salary, Benefits Value, Business Overhead (all annual).
  2. Enter Billable Weeks and Hours/Week.
  3. Set Utilization % — the share of your time that is actually invoiced.
  4. MVR = (salary + benefits + overhead) ÷ effective hours.

Examples

$120k + $18k benefits + $9k overhead, 47w × 40h × 60%
MVR ≈ $130/hr. Anything less is a pay cut vs the W-2 equivalent.

Before you trust the result

Check the inputs that matter most: dates, rates, units, costs, and any optional fields you skipped. A calculator can only work with the numbers entered here, so use the result as a decision check rather than a final answer when money, health, tax, legal, or safety consequences are involved.

If the result feels surprising, change one input at a time and watch which number moves. That usually shows the real lever behind the decision.

Cognitive Boost fit

Use this inside Money Clarity

Estimate your rate floor first, then check the calculator. Money Clarity helps you notice which assumption changes the decision most.

  • Rate Floor Check: Helps users practice minimum acceptable rate thinking before accepting work.
Start Money Clarity

Next up

Got your rate? See what gig work really pays after mileage.Gig Net Floor → Rate locked — when can you leap from side hustle to full time?The Leap →

Frequently asked questions

› What should Utilization % be?

50–70% is typical. New freelancers underestimate admin/sales time; veterans with a pipeline hit 75%+.

› Should I include business overhead? Trust & accuracy

Yes — tools, accounting, coworking, training. They are the cost of running yourself as a company.

Tips & related reading

See the Saving & Spending Calculators hub →

Tips & how-tos

Relevant links

Related tools

The Leap

The exact date a side-hustle can sustainably replace a primary salary, factoring self-employment tax and benefits loss.

The Value Floor

Is your time worth more than the professional quote? Balance-scale verdict with DIY cost vs outsourcing.

Revenue per Head

Estimate whether the next hire raises or lowers revenue per employee after management time and ramp-up.