Your numbers
Your rate
About voice-over artist rates
Voice-over work is billed per finished project, but recording, editing, auditions and retakes are hours you never invoice. This calculator shows the real hourly value behind your project fees.
Remember unpaid auditions: treat them as marketing hours and include them in your non-billable time.
Expenses to include
- Microphone, audio interface and acoustic treatment
- Recording and editing software
- Home studio costs such as power, internet and soundproofing
- Casting or marketplace fees
- Voice coaching and demo reel production
Add these up for a full year and enter the total in "Yearly expenses".
How the rate is calculated
- Revenue needed = take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate) + expenses
- Billable hours per year = hours per week × (52 − weeks off)
- Hourly rate = revenue needed ÷ billable hours per year
This is a planning estimate, not tax advice. Tax rules differ by country, so check with a local accountant for exact figures.
Frequently asked questions
How should a voice-over artist set an hourly rate?
Add studio equipment, software and casting fees to the income you want to keep, then divide by the hours you can bill. Auditions and editing are real work, so your billable hours are fewer than your working hours.
Should a voice-over artist charge hourly or per project?
Per-project or per-finished-minute rates are normal for voice work. Use your hourly rate and your usual recording-plus-editing time to check each price covers your costs.
How many hours per week can a voice-over artist realistically bill?
Auditions, recording, editing and retakes mean you may bill fewer hours than in other fields. Around 15 to 22 hours a week is a reasonable planning range; adjust it with your own time tracking.