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Tradie hourly rate
What should you charge per hour? Three inputs — target take-home, annual overhead, billable hours per week — and we'll back out a defensible rate that keeps you in business.
Tradie hourly-rate calculator
Set your target pay, your overheads, and how many hours a week you actually bill. We'll back out the per-hour rate that keeps you in business.
What you want in your pocket each year before tax + super.
Vehicle, fuel, tools, insurance, accountant, software, super.
Most sole tradies bill 25–32 hr / 50-hr week.
Per-hour rate
$73
8-hour day rate
$583
First-hour call-out
$73
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my hourly rate as a sole tradie?
Add your desired annual pre-tax take-home to your annual overhead (vehicle, fuel, tools, insurance, accountant, software, super). Divide that by your annual billable hours — most AU sole tradies bill 25–32 hours per 50-hour week, which works out to ~1,200–1,500 hours a year after 4 weeks of unpaid leave / public holidays. The result is your break-even per-hour rate. The calculator above does this for you.
Why is billable hours less than total hours worked?
Because not every hour you work is on a customer's job. Driving between sites, quoting, invoicing, chasing payment, picking up materials, sharpening tools — none of it bills. Industry research from groups like Master Plumbers Australia consistently puts the billable share at 50–60% of total hours. If you charge a rate that assumes 40 billable hours / week you're undercharging by 30–50%.
What overheads should I include?
Vehicle running cost (registration, comprehensive insurance, fuel, servicing, tyres, depreciation), public liability insurance, professional indemnity (if you advise), accountant + bookkeeping software, mobile phone, trade software (VoxQuote, Xero etc.), tool depreciation, super contributions (Super Guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2025), workcover / income protection, and a buffer for unexpected costs. Don't forget annual licence fees + CPD.
How do I price a call-out?
Most AU tradies charge a call-out equivalent to one billable hour at their hourly rate, plus the actual labour time after that. Some charge a flat 'service call' fee (e.g. $150–$220) that covers the first hour; anything beyond goes onto the time clock. The calculator above computes a defensible call-out as 1× the per-hour rate; adjust based on your suburb's competitive ceiling.
Should I quote per-hour or per-job?
Per-job (fixed-price) wins more residential jobs in AU because customers want certainty before committing. Use the per-hour rate as your *internal* costing tool: estimate the hours, multiply by your rate, add materials + GST, then quote the total as a fixed price. Per-hour billing is more common for diagnostic, repair, and emergency work where scope is unknowable upfront.
Is this advice tax / financial advice?
No — this is a self-help calculator. The numbers it generates are a starting point, not financial advice. Talk to your accountant about super, GST registration, and tax-effective business structures (sole trader vs Pty Ltd) before locking in a rate. ATO + Master Trade Associations both publish good baseline guidance.
Set your rate once, price every quote right
VoxQuote stores your hourly rate in your profile. Dictate a job (“swap a hot water unit, four hours”) and the line item auto-prices. GST + ABN + tax invoice formatting all native. Free to start; no card.
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