W-2 to 1099 Rate Calculator (2026)

Going freelance? Your old salary is not your rate. As a 1099 contractor you pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare (15.3% self-employment tax on 92.35% of net earnings) and your own health insurance. Quartli's free calculator uses the official 2026 federal tax math — including the QBI deduction — to find the 1099 income that leaves you with the same take-home pay as your W-2 salary.

Example: matching a $100,000 W-2 salary (single filer, $450/month self-paid health insurance) typically requires roughly 15–25% more in gross 1099 income, billed across realistic freelance hours (1,300–1,600 billable hours per year, not 2,080).

Use the interactive calculator at quartli.com/tools/w2-vs-1099-calculator.

Why 1099 contractors must charge more than their W-2 salary

• Self-employment tax: both halves of FICA (15.3%) instead of half (7.65%)
• Self-paid health insurance and benefits
• Fewer billable hours: admin, sales, and gaps reduce billable time to 60–75% of full-time
• Partially offset by the Sec. 199A QBI deduction (up to 20% of qualified business income)

Built by Lena Hanna, CPA. Related: 1099 vs W-2: How Your Tax Situation Changes.