Gig rate calculatorWhat should I charge?

Work backwards from what you need to earn. Add your yearly running costs to your income target, divide by the number of paid gigs you realistically do, add your average cost per gig, then gross it up for commission. That is your floor: the lowest fee that keeps you on track. Quote above it to leave room to negotiate.

The floor is the minimum fee that meets your target. The quote adds 15% headroom, rounded up to the nearest £5, so you can come down in a negotiation and still land above your floor.

If your target is after tax, the calculator estimates 2026/27 UK Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance on your self-employed profit, using England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, and assumes gigs are your only income. Scotland’s income tax bands are different.

No. Some gigs are worth more than the fee — showcases, festivals, new rooms — and some should pay well above it, like corporate and private events. The floor tells you how many lower-paid gigs your year can carry.

Track it. StagePay keeps travel and expenses with each gig and shows your profit per gig for free, so your average cost per gig comes from real numbers instead of a guess.