Hourly rate calculator for the self-employed in Switzerland

Your hourly rate has to cover more than your income. The calculator adds up what you need to take in over a year: the income you want, AHV contributions, your business costs, and pension and insurance.

It divides that turnover by the hours you can bill in a year, then rounds the result up to the next whole franc.

The income you want is the amount before tax, like a gross salary. The calculator leaves out tax, because it depends on your canton, your municipality and your personal situation.

As a self-employed person you pay the full AHV, IV and EO contributions yourself. Employees share them with their employer. The full rate is 10% of your earned income (2026).

Below CHF 60,500 of income, a sliding scale applies, with rates from 5.371%. Below CHF 10,100 you pay the minimum contribution of CHF 530. On top of that, compensation funds charge admin costs of at most 5% of the contributions.

The calculator uses these rates and the full 5% admin costs. Your compensation fund sets the exact amount from your tax data; for example, it deducts interest on the equity invested in your business.

A year has about 260 weekdays. Take away holidays, public holidays and the days you are ill or training. When you are self-employed nobody pays you for those days, so your hourly rate has to cover them.

Only part of the remaining working hours can be billed. Quotes, invoices, bookkeeping, finding clients, preparation and travel are all work, but they appear on no invoice. The calculator assumes 60%. Adjust it to your week: if you have many short appointments with gaps in between, you often bill less.

The difference is large: billing 80% instead of 60% cuts the rate you need by a quarter. Spend less time on admin and you can charge less or earn more.

Business costs are everything you spend to do the work: rent, materials, software, phone and internet, travel, training, your professional association, your website and an accountant.

A pension fund is voluntary for the self-employed. Without one, you can pay 20% of your earned income, up to CHF 36,288 a year (2026), into pillar 3a and deduct it from your taxes.

The self-employed have no compulsory accident insurance, and without daily sickness allowance insurance your income stops when you are ill. Budget for these premiums, even though they are voluntary.

You only have to register for VAT once you reach CHF 100,000 turnover a year from taxable services. Some services are exempt, such as medical treatment by professionals with a licence to practise and many kinds of teaching.

If you are registered, you add VAT to your hourly rate and pay it to the Federal Tax Administration. The standard rate is 8.1%. Choose «Yes» in the calculator to see your rate including VAT.

Clients rarely see an hourly rate; they see a price per appointment. The calculator shows it for 45, 60 and 90 minutes.

If an appointment needs preparation or follow-up, count that time as part of the appointment or lower the billable share. Round the price up to a clean amount: a few francs per appointment add up over the year.

Comparing with others helps you place your rate, but it doesn't replace your own numbers. If your rate is well above what is usual in your field, take a second look at your billable hours and costs.

With Zitli, clients book on your booking page. Each appointment type has its own duration, and your canton's public holidays are blocked. Zitli adds every appointment to your calendar and sends the confirmations.

With Zitli Pro, clients pay at booking with TWINT or by card, or Zitli sends a Swiss QR-bill after the appointment. You get paid for every hour booked, without chasing payments.

The free plan covers one booking page. Try Pro free for 14 days, no credit card needed.

Leaflet 2.02 «Contributions of the self-employed to AHV, IV and EO» from the AHV/IV information centre, as at 1 January 2026. Pillar 3a maximum for 2026 and VAT rates from the Federal Tax Administration. The calculator does not replace advice from your compensation fund or an accountant.