Frontend rates vary widely depending on stack, scope, and whether you are building products or implementing designs. This calculator works backwards from your income goal to find a rate that covers your real costs as an independent developer.
// frequently asked questions
Does my stack (React, Vue, Angular) affect my rate?
Yes, but less than experience does. React commands a slight premium because of demand concentration. Vue and Svelte specialists can charge comparably in markets where those frameworks dominate. Angular rates tend to be higher for enterprise clients specifically. Stack matters less than the complexity of work you can handle independently.
Should I charge more for mobile responsiveness and accessibility?
Not as a separate line item, but yes as part of your base rate. If you build to WCAG standards and ship fully responsive interfaces by default, your rate should reflect that. Clients who only want desktop-first with basic responsiveness can be quoted lower, but treat full-standard work as the default and price it accordingly.
How do I price a fixed-scope frontend project?
Estimate hours conservatively, multiply by your hourly rate, then add 20% for integration surprises and client feedback cycles. Frontend projects almost always involve more back-and-forth with design than the brief suggests. Quote the total as a project price, not as hours times rate, to avoid hourly negotiation on individual tasks.
What billable percentage should I plan for?
Frontend developers typically bill 60-70% of working hours. The rest goes to environment setup, dependency management, code reviews, and client communication. Factor this into your rate calculation, not as overhead you absorb silently.