Labor Burden Rate Calculator
FREESee what one field employee really costs per productive hour. This calculator layers payroll taxes, workers comp, liability allocation, health insurance, and PTO onto the base wage so you can price labor with your eyes open.
Base labor inputs
FICA fixed at 7.65%2,080 paid hours / year
Burden components
PTO and benefits are converted into cost per productive hour, not just paid hour, so the loaded rate matches the hours you can actually sell.
Burden dollars / hour
$0
Burden %
0%
True loaded cost / hour
$0
Annual cost / employee
$0
What to bill clients
$0
| Component | Annual cost | Per productive hour |
|---|
All calculations happen in your browser. Use these numbers as a fast estimating aid, then verify measurements, local code, supplier pricing, and site-specific conditions before ordering materials or sending a final bid.
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Frequently asked questions
What is labor burden?
Labor burden is everything that sits on top of the hourly wage: employer taxes, insurance, PTO, benefits, and other labor-related overhead.
Why is loaded cost higher than the base wage?
Because productive field hours must carry the cost of paid time off, payroll taxes, insurance, and benefits.
How should I use the billing rate output?
Use it as a floor for labor pricing. You still need to layer in overhead, non-billable time, risk, and desired net profit.