Calculators
Sliding Scale Fee Calculator
Calculate a sliding-scale session fee from a client's household income and size, with minimum and full fees.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Setting accessible therapy fees
- Community clinic pricing
- Nonprofit counselling services
- Practice policy design
About this tool
What the Sliding Scale Fee Calculator does
A sliding scale lowers fees for clients with lower incomes so care stays accessible. A common approach compares household income with the poverty guideline for the household size and sets the fee as a percentage of the full fee, between a minimum and the full rate.
It also works as a session fee sliding scale calculator.
Formula
- Income ratio = household income ÷ poverty guideline
- Fee rises linearly from the minimum at 100% to the full fee at the chosen threshold
- Fee never below the minimum or above the full fee
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Full session fee | $160 |
| Minimum sliding fee | $50.00 |
| Client annual household income | $42,000 |
| Poverty guideline for the household size | $26,650 |
| Full fee at or above this % of the guideline | 400% |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Session fee | $71.12 |
| Discount from full fee | 55.6% |
| Income as % of poverty guideline | 157.6% |
How to read the result
Publish the scale and the documentation you ask for, so fees are applied consistently and fairly.
Decide how many sliding-scale places you can offer and still sustain the practice.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
A fee that varies with the client's ability to pay, usually based on income and household size.
Often using income bands relative to poverty guidelines or local median income.
Rules vary; charging insured clients differently can conflict with payer contracts.
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