MoneyIdeas calculators
Rate per hour calculator
Is that task or project genuinely worth your time? Add up what you earned, subtract platform fees and work costs, and count every minute spent—including unpaid screening and revisions.
Use one job, one week or one month. Keep all three fields to the same period.
Include screening, waiting, applications, revisions and admin. Hours must be greater than 0.
- Actual earnings per hour, before tax
- R 90,00
A R50 task that takes 30 minutes pays R100 an hour before costs. Add another 30 minutes of unpaid screening and that drops to R50. Count all your time when comparing platforms.
Earnings Clarity
The true cost of unpaid time in online work
Most online platforms advertise tasks by their headline payout: “Earn $10 for a 30-minute task!” or “R200 per article”. But in the real world, your time isn't only spent on the task itself.
To understand whether an opportunity is genuinely worth pursuing, you must measure your effective hourly rate. This formula reveals your real compensation:
A survey advertises R30 for 15 minutes (R120/hr apparent rate). However, you spent 20 minutes answering screening questions on two other surveys only to be disqualified. Total time: 35 minutes. Actual earnings: R30. Real rate: R51.42/hr.
You complete a R1,500 logo design project in 5 hours. But client briefing took 2 hours, revisions took 3 hours, and the platform took a 10% fee (R150). Total time: 10 hours. Net: R1,350. Real rate: R135/hr.
Cost Checklist
Hidden expenses that chip away at your earnings
Payment Fees
PayPal withdrawal fees (FNB charges 1.5% to 2.5% plus exchange rate spreads), Payoneer annual fees, or voucher conversion discounts.
Data & Internet
Mobile data bundles or your uncapped fiber connection. If you buy R200 of mobile data specifically to do microtasks, that comes straight off your earnings.
Power & Devices
Laptop battery wear, backup power solutions (inverters, UPS, power banks) required to work during power interruptions.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about hourly rates
How do I know if an online earning platform is worth my time?
Track your time for 2 weeks using a timer. Record all time logged in, including waiting for tasks and screening. If your actual hourly rate is below South Africa's national minimum wage (approx. R27.58/hour) or below what you could earn doing other tasks, it may be better to switch categories (e.g. from low-paying surveys to microtasks or testing).
Should I quote clients per hour or fixed price?
For freelancers, fixed-price project quotes often yield a higher effective hourly rate as you get faster. However, always calculate your internal estimate using the hourly formula to ensure the fixed price covers revisions and administrative meetings.
Is the hourly rate calculated before or after income tax?
This calculator gives your true hourly rate before income tax. To find out how much of your hourly rate you will retain after SARS income tax, use our Freelance Tax Calculator.