Utility · Mobile-first

Labor burden & bill rate calculator

Enter wage, one combined burden percent and the gross margin you want on labor — see loaded cost and a bill rate that hits that margin. Spreadsheet shortcut, not payroll software.

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Labor burden hourly rate calculator

Simple model: we first load payroll taxes, benefits and overhead onto the base wage as one combined "burden" percent, then solve for the customer rate that preserves a target gross margin on labor (margin here is on the invoice line, not company-wide net). Your accountant's definition may differ — compare against your payroll export.

Roll payroll taxes, workers comp class, PTO, truck allocation — whatever you load per hour into one number.

Must be under 100%. This is margin on the billable hour line, not whole-company EBITDA.

Fully loaded cost / hour$37.80
Suggested bill rate / hour$47.25

Key takeaways

  • Shows loaded cost before margin in one glance.
  • Margin definition spelled out to avoid fights with finance.
  • Thumb-friendly for sales ride-alongs.
  • Honest about differing accountant definitions.
  • Pairs with Jobber or Housecall line-item templates after you settle the rate.

Who built this

ContractorHQ is edited by Bernard Guido — 25+ years in trade operations and software. These utilities follow the same quality bar as our reviews: fast pages, honest disclosure, and tools that stay useful without selling your data.

Frequently asked questions

Why one burden percent instead of ten fields?

Truck conversations need a fast slider. Split taxes, WC and benefits in your spreadsheet first, then paste the combined percent here.

Does margin include material?

This page models labor only. Material margin belongs in your estimating line items separately.

Non-billable shop time?

Not modeled. If you want that rigor, divide annual salary by billable hours first, then use the result as the wage input.

Privacy?

Nothing leaves your tab. Clear the fields before handing the laptop to someone else.