Free tool for US restaurants

Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator

Calculate your restaurant's labor cost percentage, see your fully loaded labor cost, and compare it with a practical benchmark.

Labor and sales details

Use labor and sales from the same period, such as the same week or month, for an accurate percentage.

$
Use net sales for the same period as your labor costs.
$
Hourly wages, overtime, salaried staff and management pay.
$
Employer payroll taxes, workers' comp and similar employment costs.
$
Health benefits, paid time off and other employer-paid labor costs.
%
If left blank, the tool uses 30% as a reference point.
%
Add this to see your combined prime cost.
Your labor analysis will appear hereEnter your sales and labor costs, then click Calculate Labor Cost.
Fully loaded labor cost
0%
$0 labor on $0 sales
Wages-only labor cost0%Before payroll burden and benefits
Labor dollars$0Fully loaded
Labor at target$0Maximum labor dollars at target
Variance to target0 ptsPositive means above target

Labor cost breakdown

Wages and salaries$0
Payroll taxes and burden$0
Benefits and other$0
Total fully loaded labor$0

Reference point

Many restaurant operators use roughly 25% to 35% of sales as a broad labor-cost reference. The right number varies by concept, service model, wage market, staffing mix, and sales volume. Treat this as context, not a universal target.

YOUR COSTS ARE ONLY HALF THE PROBLEM

Low food cost won't save you if the seats are empty. Most restaurants we talk to have their costs under control. What they're missing is a steady stream of new customers. That's what we fix.

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This calculator is a planning tool. Labor definitions vary by restaurant and accounting system. Use matching sales and labor periods for meaningful results.