Bill Rate Calculator

Turn a pay rate into a client bill rate — and see your gross profit and margin instantly.

Payroll taxes + benefits

Applied to pay rate

$45.00/hr

Bill rate

$35.40/hr

True cost

$9.60/hr

Gross profit

21.3%

Gross margin

At a $30.00/hr pay rate with 50.0% markup, you bill $45.00/hr and keep $9.60/hr after the 18.0% employer burden.

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Estimates only, using editable 2025 US defaults. Tax and insurance rates vary by employer, classification, and locality — verify with a licensed accountant before relying on these figures.

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Your bill rate is what you charge a client for an hour of a placed worker. Setting it correctly means starting from the pay rate, layering in your employer burden to find the true cost, and applying a markup that leaves a healthy margin. This staffing bill rate calculator does all three and shows the gross profit and margin in real time.

Adjust the pay rate, burden, and markup to model any scenario — from a low-margin volume placement to a premium specialized role — and see immediately whether the numbers work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate a staffing bill rate?
Start with the pay rate, add the employer burden to get your true cost, then apply your markup to set the bill rate. This calculator does it in one step and shows the resulting gross profit and margin.
What is the difference between pay rate, cost, and bill rate?
Pay rate is what the worker earns. True cost is pay plus employer burden (payroll taxes, benefits, workers comp). Bill rate is what you charge the client. Your gross profit is bill rate minus true cost.
How is markup applied to the bill rate?
In staffing, markup is typically applied to the pay rate: a 50% markup on a $40/hr pay rate gives a $60/hr bill rate. Because the employer burden also sits on top of pay, your markup must exceed your burden to make a profit.
What is a typical staffing markup?
Staffing markups commonly range from about 40% to 75% depending on the role, region, and service level, though specialized or hard-to-fill roles can go higher. Use the calculator to see the margin any markup produces.
Is the bill rate calculator free?
Yes — free, no sign-up, and it runs instantly in your browser.