A free income and sliding-scale planning tool for therapists building or growing their private practice.
See how your fees, caseload, cancellations, time off, and reduced-fee spots affect your monthly and annual income.
Clients per fee tier and session frequency.
| Fee / session | 2×/week | Weekly | 2×/month | Every 3 wks | Monthly | Clients | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$Full | 10 | ||||||
$ | 4 | ||||||
$ | 3 |
Estimates use 2025 federal brackets, the standard deduction, and self-employment tax. The state rate is an editable effective rate — actual state tax is usually progressive. Not tax advice.
| Line | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $8,416 | $100,991 |
| Expenses | −$925 | −$11,100 |
| Self-employment tax | −$1,058 | −$12,701 |
| Federal income tax | −$819 | −$9,828 |
| State income tax | −$418 | −$5,012 |
| Net income | $5,196 | $62,349 |
Tax estimate doesn't model common deductions — QBI, retirement contributions (SEP-IRA / Solo 401k), or health-insurance premiums — so your actual bill is often lower. Details in "Show the Math" below.
Your 7 reduced-fee spots make approximately $19,464 in care more accessible each year compared to your standard fee — a deliberate allocation of your practice's capacity, not a loss.
Every number above, derived line by line — no black box.
| $180 (full rate) | |
| 8 clients weekly × 48.0 sessions/yr × $180 | $69,120 |
| 2 clients 2×/month × 22.2 sessions/yr × $180 | $7,975 |
| Tier subtotal (before attendance) | $77,095 |
| $120 | |
| 4 clients weekly × 48.0 sessions/yr × $120 | $23,040 |
| Tier subtotal (before attendance) | $23,040 |
| $90 | |
| 2 clients weekly × 48.0 sessions/yr × $90 | $8,640 |
| 1 client monthly × 11.1 sessions/yr × $90 | $997 |
| Tier subtotal (before attendance) | $9,637 |
| × 92% attendance rate | $100,991 /yr |
| Gross revenue (annual ÷ 12 = monthly) | $100,991 · $8,416/mo |
| Practice profit (gross − expenses) | $89,891 |
| Self-employment earnings (92.35% of profit) | $83,014 |
| Social Security: 12.4% of $83,014 | $10,294 |
| Medicare: 2.9% of $83,014 | $2,407 |
| Self-employment tax | $12,701 |
| Profit − ½ SE tax ($6,351) | $83,540 |
| − Standard deduction (single, 2025) | −$15,750 |
| Federal taxable income | $67,790 |
| 10% on $11,925 ($0–$11,925) | $1,193 |
| 12% on $36,550 ($11,925–$48,475) | $4,386 |
| 22% on $19,315 ($48,475–$67,790) | $4,249 |
| Federal income tax | $9,828 |
| State: 6% effective rate × $83,540 | $5,012 |
| Total estimated tax (30.6% effective) | $27,541 |
Not modeled — and likely to lower your real bill: the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, retirement contributions (SEP-IRA, Solo 401k), and self-employed health-insurance premiums. Treat this as a conservative ceiling and confirm with your accountant.
Therapy Calculator is a free income calculator built for psychotherapists, counselors, psychologists, and clinical social workers in solo private practice. Instead of a one-number salary estimate, it simulates your real practice: your full session fee, your sliding scale tiers, and how often each client comes.
Use it to plan a fee increase, decide how many sliding scale spots you can offer, compare caseload scenarios before leaving agency work, or set a realistic income goal for the year.
It varies widely with session fees, caseload, and location. A full-time solo therapist seeing 20–25 clients a week at $120–$200 per session typically grosses roughly $115,000–$250,000 a year. Take-home is usually 55–70% of gross after office expenses, self-employment tax, and federal and state income taxes. Rather than relying on averages, use the calculator above to model your own fees, caseload, and state.
Start from your full fee and your income goal, then decide how many reduced-rate spots your practice can afford. Most therapists do better with a few defined tiers (for example $90 and $120 below a $180 full rate) and a set number of spots per tier, instead of negotiating one-off discounts. The tier grid above shows exactly what each sliding scale spot costs you per month and per year, so you can offer access intentionally.
Many full-time private practice therapists consider 20–25 clinical hours per week a sustainable full caseload; consistently seeing more increases burnout risk. The workload card above shows the sessions per week your scenario implies and warns you when it crosses the threshold you set.
Self-employed therapists pay 15.3% self-employment tax on practice profit plus federal and state income tax, so a common rule of thumb is to set aside 25–35% of profit. This calculator estimates your actual burden using current federal brackets, the standard deduction, self-employment tax, and an editable effective rate for your state — a more useful starting point than a flat percentage.
Yes. Therapy Calculator is free, with no account or sign-up. Everything you enter stays in your own browser and is never uploaded to a server. See the privacy policy for details.