Lumpy invoices, steady paycheck: what you can pay yourself each month.
RealRateCalc team
Updated Oct 2026
Six typed months average $5,166.67. A 0.30 tax set-aside and a 0.10 safety share, both typed, pay $3,255.00 a month. Cash needed first is $3,920.00.
Updated Oct 2026
$3,255.00/mo · cash needed first $3,920.00 · buffer growth $2,170.00
Average $5,166.67. Salary $5,166.67 × 0.70 × 0.90 = $3,255.00. Running buffer -$2,415.00, -$3,920.00, -$875.00, -$770.00, $175.00, $2,170.00. Buffer target $0.00 (0 months you type). Current buffer $0.00.
The formula
Average is the sum of the months you fill in, divided by how many of those months there are. Salary is that average times (1 minus the tax set-aside) times (1 minus the safety share). Each month the buffer changes by income times (1 minus the tax set-aside), minus the salary. Cash needed first is the deepest negative running total, shown as a positive number. Buffer target is salary times the buffer months you type. Income here is after business costs. The shares are not a published standard.
How do I pay myself a regular salary on freelance income?
Add up the months you type, divide by how many months you typed, then multiply by (1 minus the tax set-aside) and (1 minus the safety share). Both shares are numbers you type. This page does not supply a standard share.
How big should my buffer be?
Cash needed first is the lowest running shortfall, flipped to a positive number. Buffer target is the salary times the buffer months you type. This page does not use a 3 to 6 month rule.
Should tax money sit in the buffer?
No. The tax set-aside comes out before the salary, and it is not part of the buffer. The hourly floor that already includes a tax share is on the real-rate page.
What if my first months are slow?
Cash needed first is the deepest point the running buffer goes below zero. That is the cash you would need on hand so the salary still goes out.
How often should I recalc?
When a new month of income lands, type it in and run the card again.