Skip to content
Calculator Tools
Freelance Calculators

Retainer Calculator

Price a monthly retainer from committed hours, your rate and a retainer discount, with the effective hourly rate.

Enter values

Results update as you type.

Result

Monthly retainer

$1,620.00

Effective hourly rate
$81.00
Annual value
$19,440.00

About the Retainer Calculator

Price a monthly retainer from committed hours, your rate and a retainer discount, with the effective hourly rate.

Also known as: monthly retainer, retainer fee, retainer pricing.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter hours per month, normal hourly rate, retainer discount.
  2. The result updates instantly as you type — press Calculate (or Enter) at any time.
  3. Review the breakdown shown under the main result.
  4. Use Copy result or Share to save the answer or send a link with your inputs.

Formula

Retainer = hours × rate × (1 − discount)

Worked example

Using the values pre-filled in the calculator above:

  • Hours per month = 20
  • Normal hourly rate = 90
  • Retainer discount = 10 %

the calculator returns:

  • Monthly retainer: 1,620
  • Effective hourly rate: 81
  • Annual value: 19,440