Day rate to hourly rate calculator
Enter your day rate and the hours in a standard day. The calculator shows your hourly rate, your overtime and weekend rates, and what a full week comes to. Everything is worked out in your browser.
How it works
The hourly rate is your day rate divided by the hours in your standard day: £165 ÷ 8 = £20.625. The calculator keeps the extra decimal places on purpose. If you round the hourly rate to £20.63 first, 8 hours comes to £165.04 instead of £165.00, and the error grows over a month. Round each line on your invoice to the penny instead. Our day rate guide explains this in more detail.
Overtime and weekend rates are the hourly rate multiplied by your multiplier. Common UK patterns are time and a quarter (×1.25), time and a half (×1.5) and double time (×2). Agree the multipliers with your client in advance. There's no legal entitlement to overtime rates for the self-employed.
About the yearly figure
The yearly estimate assumes 46 working weeks, allowing roughly 6 weeks for holidays, bank holidays and gaps between contracts. Self-employed people don't get paid holiday, so it's a reasonable rule of thumb, but adjust it for your own pattern. It's turnover before expenses, tax and National Insurance, not take-home pay.
Worked examples
| Day rate | Hours/day | Hourly | ×1.25 | ×1.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £150 | 8 | £18.75 | £23.4375 | £28.125 |
| £165 | 8 | £20.625 | £25.78125 | £30.9375 |
| £200 | 8 | £25.00 | £31.25 | £37.50 |
| £200 | 10 | £20.00 | £25.00 | £30.00 |
| £250 | 7.5 | £33.3333… | £41.6667 | £50.00 |
A note on the minimum wage
The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage apply to workers and employees, not to genuinely self-employed people. But if an offer works out below GOV.UK's current rates per hour, it's worth questioning, especially if the "self-employed" label doesn't reflect how you're actually treated.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a day rate to an hourly rate?
Divide the day rate by the hours in your standard working day. For example, £165 ÷ 8 = £20.625 an hour.
Should I round the hourly rate?
Not before multiplying. Keep the full rate, work out each line, then round the line amount to the nearest penny.
What is time and a quarter on £165 a day?
With an 8-hour day, the hourly rate is £20.625, so time and a quarter is £25.78125 an hour, about £25.78.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and rates change, so check the linked GOV.UK pages for the current position.