What Does Your Side Hustle Actually Pay?
Enter your hours, rate, expenses, and tax rate to see your real net monthly income and true effective hourly rate — not just gross revenue.
Your gross rate and your effective rate can differ by 40% or more.
45%
of Americans have a side hustle — earning an average of $1,122/month
15.3%
self-employment tax rate that reduces gig income before income tax kicks in
$13,464
average annual side hustle income in the US in 2024
Make your side hustle work harder
Know your true hourly rate
A $50/hour freelance rate sounds great — but after 20% expenses and 25% tax, your effective rate drops to around $30/hour. Factor in unpaid admin time and it can fall further. This calculator shows you the truth.
Expenses matter more than you think
Every platform fee, software subscription, and piece of equipment reduces your effective earnings. Track your expenses monthly and review whether each tool is earning its keep.
Scale what works
Once you know your true hourly rate, you can make better decisions: raise rates, cut low-value clients, or productise your service. Use the yearly net to set income goals and measure progress.
How the Side Hustle Calculator Works
Enter your weekly hours, hourly rate, expense percentage, and estimated tax rate. The calculator multiplies weekly hours by 4.33 to get a monthly figure, deducts your expense ratio, then applies self-employment tax to give you a true net monthly income.
Dividing net monthly income by total hours worked reveals your effective hourly rate — the number that actually reflects what you earn from the gig after all costs.