How to calculate your true hourly rate
Your hourly rate is the number that turns a vague feeling ("I'm busy") into something you can weigh. Here is how to work it out.
The basic formula
Divide your monthly income by the hours you actually work in a month:
hourly rate = monthly income ÷ days worked ÷ hours per day
If you earn ₹85,000 a month, work 22 days and put in 8 hours a day, that is ₹85,000 ÷ 22 ÷ 8, or about ₹483 an hour.
Why your true rate is usually lower
Count the hours you are available to work, not just the hours on your contract. Commuting, always-on messaging and evening catch-up all belong in the denominator. Add them and the rate drops.
Put the rate to work
Once you have a rate, every hour has a price. A ten-minute scroll at ₹483 an hour costs about ₹80. That is not a reason for guilt. It is a reason to notice.
The next step is a time audit: log each hour, then see which ones were urgent, which were important, and which leaked. Read urgent vs important, explained to see how to sort them.