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Freelance vs employee: how much do you take home?
Enter your gross income and compare what you really keep either way, after social security, income tax and expenses.
Family situation
Freelancer
Average monthly amounts, excluding VAT.
Your average monthly revenue.
Rent, utilities, materials, subscriptions…
1.444,13 €/month
17.330 € take-home per year
- Monthly social security
- 380,88 €
- Estimated annual income tax
- 3.300 €
- Effective income-tax rate
- 13.1 %
Employee
Annual gross salary from your contract.
The figure on your contract or payslip.
1.653,96 €/month
23.156 € take-home per year · 14 payments
- Employee social security (6.35%)
- 1.905 €/year
- Estimated annual income tax
- 4.940 €
- Effective income-tax rate
- 16.5 %
Difference in monthly take-home
-209,83 €/month
On these figures, you'd take home more as an employee.
These figures are a guide. The employee take-home assumes 14 payments; the regional part of income tax varies by region. It excludes other deductions (mortgage, pension plans and so on).
When is it worth going freelance?
There's no universal answer: it depends on how much you earn, what expenses you have and what you want to do. But there are some clear pointers.
As a freelancer you pay more social security than as an employee (an employee pays only 6.35% of their gross salary; a freelancer pays a fixed monthly contribution by bracket that can exceed €300). On the other hand, you can deduct the real expenses of your activity, which reduces the income your tax is based on.
There's also more hidden cost to the employer when you're an employee: the company pays roughly 30% on top of your gross salary in contributions. That can make your "market value" higher than it looks once you're freelance.
The simulation above is a guide. If you want a proper assessment of your situation, at autonomia360 we help you choose the option that suits you best.
Estimates only. This tool gives you an estimate based on the details you enter, but every situation is different and there may be factors it doesn't account for. It isn't a substitute for professional advice.
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