Therapy fee calculator
Your fee = (what you want to take home + business costs + taxes) ÷ the sessions you'll really hold in a year. Enter your own numbers below. The defaults are a full-time solo therapist who wants to take home $90,000, which lands at about $141 a session.
How will clients pay?
| If you charge | Gross a year | Take-home |
|---|
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent. Take-home is after your tax set-aside.
How the calculator works
- Taxes: the percentage is applied to your profit, so a 27% set-aside on $90,000 take-home is about $33,000.
- Sessions: weeks worked × sessions per week, minus cancellations. Dividing by 52 full weeks is the most common mistake.
- Break-even: your monthly business costs divided by your fee, the sessions you need just to cover the bills.
Then check the result against your market: 10 to 15 therapists near you with similar training. A large 2024 study put the national average at about $143 a session without insurance. The full guide, with typical fees by license and how to raise your fee, is how much should I charge for therapy?
How to use it
- Choose how clients will pay. For a mix or insurance, add what insurance pays you per session.
- Enter your take-home goal, costs, and tax set-aside.
- Be honest about weeks and sessions: almost nobody works 52 weeks at a full caseload.
- Add any sliding-scale spots.
- Read the "what if" table to see how a $20 change moves your take-home.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a therapist charge per session?
Work backward from your take-home goal, business costs, and taxes, divided by the sessions you'll really hold. For a full-time solo therapist who wants about $90,000 take-home, that's often $135 to $150 a session. Then check it against 10 to 15 therapists near you with similar training.
How many sessions a week is full time for a therapist?
Many solo therapists consider 20 to 25 sessions a week full time, because each session also brings notes, admin, and marketing time.
Should my private pay fee match insurance rates?
Not necessarily, but compare them. If an insurance plan pays more per session than your private pay fee, your fee is probably too low.
How do I account for a sliding scale?
Decide how many reduced-fee spots you'll offer and at what fee, and include them in the math, as this calculator does, so your full fee covers the difference.
Business education, not financial or tax advice.