A crew member's hourly wage is never what they actually cost you — payroll taxes, workers' comp, and benefits add real money on top before overhead or profit even enter the picture. This calculator takes each worker's base wage, layers in burden and overhead, and produces a billable rate per person and per crew so your labor line items reflect the true cost of putting people on a job.
| Role / Name | Wage/hr | Burdened | Loaded | Billable/hr | Daily | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Carpenter | $65.00 | $83.20 | $98.18 | $130.90 | $1,047.21 | $5,236.05 |
| Laborer | $38.00 | $48.64 | $57.40 | $76.53 | $612.22 | $3,061.08 |
Lead ($65/hr, 8hrs/day), Carpenter ($48/hr, 8hrs/day), Laborer ($32/hr, 8hrs/day). Burden 28%, overhead 20%, margin 25%. 5 days.
Master electrician $85/hr, 8hrs/day. Burden 30%, overhead 22%, margin 30%.
Journeyman $72/hr + Apprentice $38/hr, 8hrs/day. Burden 28%, overhead 18%, margin 28%.
Burden rate covers the employer costs on top of base wages: FICA/payroll taxes (~7.65%), workers' compensation insurance (varies widely by trade, 5–25%), general liability insurance, and benefits. For most trades, 25–35% is a reasonable starting point. A $30/hr laborer actually costs you $38–$40/hr when fully burdened.
Start with burdened wage, then add your overhead percentage (fixed business costs), then mark up for profit. Example: $40/hr burdened + 20% overhead = $48/hr loaded cost. Add 25% margin → $64/hr billable rate. This calculator does all four steps at once for every crew member.
Labor margins typically run 20–35% for specialty contractors and 15–25% for general contractors. Skilled trades in tight labor markets often charge 30–40%. Anything below 15% rarely covers the real cost of running a business when you factor in downtime, callbacks, and admin.
The loaded rate is wage + burden + overhead — your true cost per hour. The billable rate is loaded rate plus profit — what you charge the client. Never quote the loaded rate without adding profit on top.
Yes. If you're working on-site, your time has a cost. Many small contractors undercharge because they forget to pay themselves a market wage. Add yourself as a crew member with a realistic rate, including your burden as a sole proprietor.