Labor Burden Rate Calculator

Turn a base salary into the number you can price and bid against: the fully burdened hourly cost and the burden multiplier on base pay. This Excel workbook layers every employer cost on top of the wage, divides the all-in cost across the productive hours you really get from the year, and returns the burdened hourly rate, the multiplier, and the fully burdened annual cost.

A working model with a rate card built in

Enter the role salary and the productive hours you expect, then set each burden component as a percent of base pay: payroll taxes, health and dental, retirement, workers compensation, paid time not worked, training, equipment, and overhead. The Rate Card tab applies that profile across several roles and returns the base hourly, the burdened hourly, the annual burden, and the fully burdened annual cost for each. A sourced Benchmark tab sense-checks every input against current SSA, IRS, BLS, and workers-compensation figures, a one-page Summary carries the headline numbers, and the workbook opens on a worked example so the logic is clear before you change anything.

Built for

• An agency, consultancy, or contractor pricing labor for a bid or a client rate who needs the fully burdened hourly cost, not the wage.
• A finance or operations partner costing a role all-in for a budget or a make-versus-buy call.
• A small business owner setting bill rates who wants to stop giving away the burden in margin.

If you are looking for the full annual cost of making a hire including recruiting and ramp, the Employee Cost Calculator builds that up. For the recruiting cost to fill a role, see the Cost Per Hire Calculator.

Before you buy

What format is it, and can I edit it?

It is one Excel workbook that also works in Google Sheets. Every input and formula is editable, and the file is yours to keep; duplicate it to bid a different role or compare profiles. Checkout delivers an instant download link, with the same link emailed on your receipt.

What does the paid workbook do that a free calculator does not?

This workbook is the file you keep. The Rate Card applies one profile across several roles, the sourced Benchmark tab sense-checks every input, the one-page summary suits a pricing or budget review, and the open formulas are yours to set to your own taxes, benefits, and overhead. A quick browser estimate gives you a single number; this gives you the rate card, the sources, and a file you reuse every time pay changes.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms. Questions? Email support@truestephr.com.

These are planning estimates built from your inputs, not legal or tax advice. Actual burden moves with your location, industry, benefits, and overhead, so set each component to your own and sense-check the total before you bid.

How the download works

Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer: save it, extract it (right-click and Extract All on Windows, double-click on a Mac), and open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and the editable files work in Microsoft Word and Excel or their free equivalents, including LibreOffice and Google Docs and Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.

Scope

This tool is a planning and analysis model. Its outputs depend entirely on the inputs and assumptions you enter, and they are estimates for decision support, not accounting, tax, or legal conclusions. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it is not a substitute for qualified counsel on your specific situation. Check the assumptions against your own data and have any decision with pay, headcount, or separation consequences reviewed against applicable law before you act on it.