About the Consultant Fee Calculator
What is the Consultant Fee Calculator?
This consultant fee calculator sets an hourly rate that covers your target income, overheads such as software, travel and insurance, and a margin for risk and non-billable time.
It converts the rate into a day rate and a monthly retainer, with and without GST.
How to use the Consultant Fee Calculator
- Target Annual Income (₹) (sample: 18,00,000)
- Overheads & Non-Billable Costs (% of income) (sample: 20)
- Billable Hours per Year (sample: 1,200)
- Profit / Risk Margin (%) (sample: 10)
- GST Rate (%) (sample: 18)
- Hours in a Monthly Retainer (sample: 40)
- Press Calculate Consulting Fee (results also refresh as you type). The result card shows the Hourly Fee (before GST), along with Day rate (8 hours), Monthly retainer, Retainer including GST and Hourly fee including GST.
Formula used
Hourly fee = Target income × (1 + Overheads %) ÷ Billable hours × (1 + Margin %)
- Billable hours = typically 1,000–1,400 a year for independent consultants
TDS of 10% under Section 194J is usually deducted by clients on professional fees.
Worked example
These are the sample values already filled in the calculator above, and the result it returns for them:
| Input | Sample value |
|---|---|
| Target Annual Income (₹) | 18,00,000 |
| Overheads & Non-Billable Costs (% of income) | 20 |
| Billable Hours per Year | 1,200 |
| Profit / Risk Margin (%) | 10 |
| GST Rate (%) | 18 |
| Hours in a Monthly Retainer | 40 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Hourly Fee (before GST) | ₹1,980 |
| Day rate (8 hours) | ₹15,840 |
| Monthly retainer | ₹79,200 |
| Retainer including GST | ₹93,456 |
| Hourly fee including GST | ₹2,336 |
Tips for using the Consultant Fee Calculator
- Retainers give steadier income – offer a small discount for committed hours.
- Review rates every year as your expertise grows.