Control temporary labor spending with clear, flexible estimates. Factor wages, overtime, taxes, and agency markup. Download reports, refine assumptions, and forecast staffing costs accurately.
Enter staffing assumptions. Then calculate total cost and effective hourly rate.
| Scenario | Temps | Weeks | Reg hrs/wk | OT hrs/wk | Rate | Markup | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse peak | 6 | 4 | 40 | 5 | $18.50 | 22% | $23,900.00 |
| Call center coverage | 10 | 8 | 38 | 2 | $16.00 | 18% | $49,600.00 |
| Event staffing | 15 | 2 | 30 | 10 | $20.00 | 25% | $28,500.00 |
Temporary staffing is often triggered by demand spikes, coverage gaps, or special projects. Start with headcount, assignment weeks, and weekly hours per worker. Baseline labor cost equals total hours multiplied by the regular hourly rate, then scaled across all temps. For planning, capture the exact shift pattern, minimum guaranteed hours, and premium differentials for nights, weekends, or hazards.
Overtime can materially change totals because it compounds rate premiums and tax bases. Estimate expected overtime hours per week, then apply an overtime multiplier to the regular rate. If schedules are volatile, model a conservative overtime scenario and compare it to the target plan. A small weekly overtime increase across many temps can exceed one-time onboarding fees within a few weeks.
Employer taxes typically apply to wages, so separate wages from benefit load when possible. Include payroll taxes, statutory contributions, and required insurance premiums as a percentage of wages. Benefits per hour can represent paid breaks, holiday accrual, stipends, or employer-paid coverage. Converting these to an hourly load keeps costs comparable across different durations and schedules.
Agency markup is commonly calculated on billable labor, while some items are pass-through. Track background checks, onboarding and training, equipment, badges, and travel support as per-temp fees. If your contract limits markup to wages only, adjust inputs so benefits and fees are treated separately. The component breakdown helps audit what is driving the bill rate.
Use overhead and contingency to reflect supervision time, tools, facilities, and risk buffers. Review effective hourly cost to compare temps with overtime, contractors, or permanent hires. Document assumptions, rerun scenarios when rates change, and export results for approvals. Track planned versus actual hours weekly, reconcile invoices line by line, and address variances quickly to strengthen cost transparency across teams. Set a variance trigger, such as 3–5%, to flag unexpected overtime or fee creep. When budgeting, compare at least three scenarios: target, conservative, and worst case. This supports faster approvals and clearer vendor negotiations for staffing levels, rates, and durations.
It applies markup to the combined wages and benefits total. If your contract marks up wages only, set benefits per hour to zero and add benefits into overhead or fixed fees to mirror your billing structure.
Yes, overtime wages are still wages, so taxes generally apply. If your tax base excludes specific premiums in your jurisdiction, reduce the employer tax rate to an effective blended rate that matches your payroll reports.
Increase the regular hourly rate by the average premium per hour, or add the premium into benefits per hour. For mixed shifts, compute a weighted average based on planned hours in each differential category.
Common items include background checks, onboarding time, badges, uniforms, equipment, drug tests, and travel support. Add only fees you pay directly, then keep pass-through items separate if invoices show them as reimbursables.
It is the net total cost divided by total scheduled hours across all temps. Use it to compare alternative staffing options, evaluate agency proposals, and identify whether overtime, markup, or overhead is inflating your blended rate.
Download CSV for spreadsheet review and PDF for stakeholders. Attach the exported summary to purchase requests, then compare invoice totals to the calculator breakdown. Updating assumptions after each cycle improves future forecasts and vendor accountability.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.