Freelance Rate Calculator
Stop guessing what to charge. Calculate your minimum day rate, project packages, and payment milestones using your real business overhead and desired income.
1. Your Income Goal
How much clean money do you want in your pocket after all expenses?
Monthly take-home: ₦1,000,000/month
2. Annual Business Overhead (CODB)
Total operating expenses: ₦3,500,000/yr
3. Taxes & Billable Capacity
Factor in tax obligations and realistic project capacity.
₦189,951
Estimated Package Pricing
Standard Session / Creative Project
Short production + delivery
Half-Day Production / Event
Half-day 4h project coverage
Full-Day Production / Commercial Project
Full day 8-10h + crew/licensing
Recommended Deposit Structure
The Cost of Doing Business (CODB) Formula
Most freelancers and creatives struggle because they price based on what competitors are charging, without knowing their own baseline expenses.
Minimum Day Rate =
(Target Net Salary + Annual Business Overhead) ÷ (1 - Tax Rate) ÷ Billable Shoot Days
If your annual business overhead is ₦3,500,000 and you want a net salary of ₦12,000,000, charging ₦50,000 per project will result in financial loss after factoring in equipment, software, and production hours.
The Golden 50/50 Deposit Rule
Never start a project on a handshake or an uncertain promise. Professional studios structure their payments around two key milestones:
- 50% Booking Retainer: Due upon contract signing. Non-refundable. Locks the client's date and compensates for reserved production time.
- 50% Final Delivery Balance: Due prior to release of final deliverables and high-resolution assets.
Pricing & Rates FAQs
Practical guidance on setting profitable photography rates and negotiating with clients.
What is the Cost of Doing Business (CODB) in photography?
The Cost of Doing Business (CODB) is the total annual financial cost required to operate your photography business—including camera gear depreciation, software subscriptions, studio rent, travel, marketing, and taxes—before paying yourself a single dollar or naira.
Why can't I shoot 5 days a week like a normal 9-to-5 job?
For every 1 hour spent behind the camera, a professional photographer typically spends 2 to 3 hours culling, color grading, retouching, communicating with clients, and managing business admin. Shooting 5 days a week would require 60 to 80 hours of post-production weekly, causing severe burnout and delayed deliveries.
What is the standard half-day rate rule?
In commercial photography, a half-day rate is typically 60% to 65% of your full day rate—not 50%. A half-day shoot still incurs the same equipment preparation, travel time, client communications, and booking overhead as a full day.
How much deposit should a photographer collect before a shoot?
The global industry standard is a 50% non-refundable booking retainer to reserve the calendar date, with the remaining 50% balance paid prior to the delivery of high-resolution, unwatermarked gallery files.
How can I ensure clients actually pay the remaining 50% balance?
Avoid releasing high-resolution files or sending raw proofs over WhatsApp before payment. Platforms like Paytograph solve this by showing clients full watermarked previews, while keeping high-resolution downloads locked until the client pays via card or instant bank transfer.