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Freelance Marketing Budget Calculator

Estimate how much to budget for freelance marketing work based on hours, hourly rate, ad spend and expected overhead.

Your Details

Overview

The Freelance Marketing Budget Calculator helps you estimate how much a freelance marketing project may cost over time. Enter your expected monthly hours, hourly rate, campaign length, ad spend and overhead percentage to see both monthly and total budget estimates.

How it works

This calculator multiplies your expected monthly hours by the hourly rate to estimate labor cost. It then adds an overhead amount based on the percentage you choose and includes monthly ad spend. The monthly total is then multiplied by the number of campaign months to estimate the full project budget.

How to use this calculator

  1. 1Enter the number of freelance marketing hours you expect each month.
  2. 2Add the hourly rate you expect to pay.
  3. 3Set the number of months for the campaign.
  4. 4Enter any planned monthly ad spend.
  5. 5Add an overhead percentage for tools, meetings, revisions or reporting.
  6. 6Review the estimated monthly and total budget.

Example Calculation

Hours per month

20

Hourly rate

$75

Campaign length

3

Monthly ad spend

$500

Overhead percentage

10%

Estimated monthly budget

$2,150

With 20 hours per month at 75 per hour, 500 per month in ad spend and 10% overhead over 3 months, the estimated monthly budget is 2150 and the total campaign budget is 6450.

Frequently asked questions

What does this calculator estimate?

It estimates the monthly and total cost of a freelance marketing engagement using labor cost, ad spend and overhead.

Does the calculator include advertising costs?

Yes. You can enter a monthly ad spend amount and it will be added to the budget totals.

What should I include in overhead?

Overhead can include software tools, reporting time, meetings, revisions, account management or other related project costs.

Can I use this for a one-month project?

Yes. Set the campaign length to 1 month to estimate a short project budget.

Does this calculator account for changing hours each month?

No. It assumes the same hours and ad spend each month, so use an average if your workload varies.

Should taxes or fees be included?

They are not automatically included. If you want to account for them, add them into your overhead estimate.

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Assumptions and warnings

Assumptions

  • Results are estimates based on the hours, rate, ad spend and overhead percentage you enter.
  • Overhead is calculated as a percentage of labor cost only.
  • The calculator assumes the same monthly hours and ad spend for each month of the campaign.
  • Taxes, platform fees and payment processing charges are not included unless you add them to your overhead estimate.

Warnings

  • This calculator provides an estimate only and is not financial advice.
  • Actual freelance marketing costs can vary based on scope changes, performance targets and contract terms.