True Employee Cost
Total cost of an employee beyond salary.
Breakdown
The "1.4× rule" comes from this: for most knowledge work, total cost lands around 1.3–1.5× base salary. Manufacturing and field roles can push 1.7–2.0× because of equipment and PPE. This is the number to use when comparing employee vs contractor or building business cases. Excludes severance, training, and recruiting fees.
About
Add up base salary, payroll taxes, health insurance, retirement match, equipment, software, bonus, and office allocation. Get the all-in annual cost, plus the multiplier on base salary. Use this to compare contractor vs employee or build hiring business cases.
How to use
- Enter base salary.
- Add benefits, equipment, software.
- Read total cost.
FAQ
Why does the multiplier vary so much?+
Knowledge work in low-tax states is around 1.3×. Manufacturing, healthcare, or roles needing equipment can push 1.7–2.0×. Add severance and recruiting fees and the spread is even wider.