{"product_id":"employee-cost-calculator","title":"Employee Cost Calculator","description":"\u003cp\u003eSee what an employee costs, not just the salary. The workbook adds payroll taxes, benefits, workers’ comp, paid time off, and overhead, then gives you the fully loaded annual cost, the cost per month, and the real hourly rate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eOne Excel workbook that turns pay into the real cost\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA working model, not a blank sheet. You enter what you know, the workbook handles the federal payroll taxes and the math, and you read the fully loaded cost. It opens on a filled-in example so the calculation is clear before you change a number.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEmployee Cost Calculator.\u003c\/strong\u003e Enter base pay or an hourly wage and scheduled hours, plus bonus or commission, health and other benefit costs, a retirement match, workers’ comp, and your payroll and overhead. The workbook returns the fully loaded annual cost, the multiple of pay, the cost per month, and the effective hourly cost, with a breakdown of where the money goes. Paid time off and holidays spread the cost over fewer worked hours, which raises the real hourly figure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2026 rates and an optional first-year view.\u003c\/strong\u003e Employer Social Security to the 2026 wage base, Medicare, and FUTA are applied for you; your state SUTA rate and wage base, workers’ comp class rate, and benefit costs are inputs you control. An optional section adds one-time recruiting, onboarding, and equipment so you can also see a first-year total, kept separate from the ongoing annual cost.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThree steps from a salary to the real cost\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou set the inputs, the workbook does the math, and the number is ready to use in a budget, an offer, or a bill rate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEnter your numbers.\u003c\/strong\u003e Base pay or wage and hours, bonus or commission, your benefit costs and retirement match, workers’ comp, your payroll and overhead, and your state SUTA. The federal payroll taxes fill in on their own.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRead the fully loaded cost.\u003c\/strong\u003e The annual total, the multiple of pay, the cost per month, and the effective hourly cost, with the breakdown showing how much sits in taxes, benefits, and overhead versus pay.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse the number.\u003c\/strong\u003e Budget a hire, set or sanity-check a bill rate, or test an offer. Duplicate the sheet to compare a second role, and add the optional one-time costs when you want a first-year view.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eA cost number that holds up with finance\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA cost estimate is only as good as the assumptions under it, so the workbook keeps every rate and multiplier on the surface and uses current federal figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAssumptions on the surface.\u003c\/strong\u003e The tax rates, the wage bases, the benefit costs, and the overhead lines are visible, editable cells, not constants buried inside a formula.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrent federal figures, your state inputs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Employer Social Security to the 2026 wage base, Medicare, and FUTA are built in. SUTA, workers’ comp, and benefit costs vary by state and employer, so they stay yours to set.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA worked example to start from.\u003c\/strong\u003e The file opens on a realistic role, so you can see the math working end to end before you replace it with your own.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it is built for\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuilt for\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn owner or HR lead pricing a hire, who needs the real cost behind the salary before committing to it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA consultant or fractional HR lead building a budget or a bill rate a client can stand behind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone setting a contractor or staffing bill rate who has to know the loaded cost underneath it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you are looking for\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat it costs when someone leaves, not what they cost to employ. The Cost of Turnover Calculator covers separation, replacement, and lost-productivity cost.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow many people you need and what it takes to staff them. The FTE Headcount Planner sizes headcount against demand, and the Workforce Planning Pack adds shift coverage, overtime versus hiring, and labor burden.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBefore you buy\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat format is it and can I edit it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is one Excel workbook that also works in Google Sheets. Every input and formula is editable, and the file is yours to keep and reuse for as many roles as you like.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is this different from the free calculator on your site?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe free web calculator gives a quick one-time estimate in the browser and resets when you leave. The paid workbook is the file you keep: set your own benefit, tax, and workers’ comp assumptions once and save them, reuse the sheet for every role, duplicate it to compare roles side by side, and drop the numbers straight into your own budget. The formulas are open, so you can see and adjust every line rather than trust a black box.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre the numbers exact?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey are planning estimates. The federal payroll figures use 2026 rates, but state unemployment, workers’ comp, and benefit costs vary by employer, so set the inputs to match yours. The strength of the model is that every assumption is visible and editable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy does paid time off change the hourly cost?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaid time off is paid but not worked, so the same annual cost spread over fewer worked hours raises the cost of each hour the person is on the job. The workbook handles that automatically once you enter the days off.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the refund policy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDigital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat happens after I buy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCheckout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the workbook in Excel or Google Sheets and start entering your numbers. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlanning estimates and general business information, not legal or tax advice. Federal figures use 2026 rates; state and benefit costs vary, so set them to your own and confirm specifics with a qualified professional. Last reviewed June 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TrueStep HR","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52641502200084,"sku":"TSHR-001","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1013\/9048\/3732\/files\/TSHR-001__employee-cost-calculator-hero.jpg?v=1780977917","url":"https:\/\/shop.truestephr.com\/products\/employee-cost-calculator","provider":"TrueStep HR","version":"1.0","type":"link"}