Employee cost calculator
What a hire really costs once payroll taxes, benefits and time off are in — and how much of the week it actually covers. Pick a role to start from the government median wage, then change anything to match your offer.
Wage presets are BLS national medians. The 42.9% default is the BLS private-industry average for benefits and legally required costs on top of wages (June 2026). Days off and hiring cost are placeholders — use your own.
First year
- Wages
- $38,002
- Benefits + taxes
- $16,303
- Per month
- $4,525
- Per hour on the desk
- $28
Total cost of the hire
$54,304
Covers 24% of the week — 128 of 168 hours have nobody on the desk.
Compare: RingOwl, 24/7
$588/year
Starter is $49/month with 250 call minutes included. It answers calls only — it won't greet visitors or file paperwork.
Wages = hourly wage × hours × 52. Hours on the desk subtract paid days off. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Where the numbers come from
Wages. The role presets use national medians from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics — a receptionist, for example, is $18.27 an hour ($38,010 a year) as of 2025. Local pay moves either side of that, so type your own rate if you know it.
Benefits and payroll taxes. The default is the BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation private-industry average for June 2026: $14.07 in benefits for every $32.82 in wages, or 42.9% on top. That covers paid leave, insurance, retirement and the legally required costs. If you don't offer health insurance or a retirement match, your number is lower — the legally required part alone is roughly 10%.
Coverage. A full-time hire works 40 of the 168 hours in a week. The calculator shows the rest, because for a front-desk role those are hours the phone still rings. To put a price on them, use the missed-call cost calculator.
Employee cost FAQ
How much does an employee cost on top of their salary?+
For the average private-industry worker, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026) puts wages at $32.82 and benefits at $14.07 per hour worked — about 42.9% on top of wages. Your own figure depends on what you offer: a small business with no health plan or retirement match will sit well below the average, so change the percentage to match.
What's included in benefits and payroll taxes?+
Paid leave, health and other insurance, retirement contributions, and the legally required costs: the employer's share of Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%), federal and state unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation. The BLS average above includes all of these, which is why it's higher than payroll taxes alone.
Why does the calculator ask about paid days off?+
Because you pay for those days but nobody is at the desk. The calculator subtracts them to show the cost per hour the person is actually working — which is always higher than the hourly wage on the offer letter.
What should I put as the hiring cost?+
Whatever you'll actually spend once: job-board ads, a recruiter's fee if you use one, and the hours you or a colleague will spend interviewing and training. Leave it at zero if you'd rather see the running cost only.
Is anything I type sent to a server?+
No. The calculator is plain JavaScript running in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or stored.
The other 128 hours
Every call answered, from $10 a month.
RingOwl is a 24/7 AI receptionist. It answers the calls your team can't — after hours, at lunch, and on the second line — books appointments into your calendar, and emails you a summary of every call.
7-day trial · 30 minutes included · No credit card.
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