Cost Comparison Calculator

Calculate the true total cost of each employment type so you can make the decision with real numbers.

Section 1

Full-Time Employee Total Cost

Add up every cost of employing someone full-time. Most founders underestimate this by 25% to 40% because they only think about salary.

Base annual salary

Employer taxes (Social Security, Medicare, NI, etc.)

Benefits (health insurance, pension, etc.)

Paid time off cost (days off x daily rate)

Equipment and software

Training and onboarding

Total annual cost (add all above)

Effective hourly cost (total / 1,880 working hours)

Section 2

Contractor Cost

Contractors look expensive per hour, but you only pay for hours worked. No taxes, no benefits, no equipment costs. Calculate the real annual cost based on the hours you actually need.

Hourly or day rate

Estimated hours per week

Estimated weeks per year

Total annual cost (rate x hours x weeks)

Any additional costs (project management tools, file sharing)

Section 3

Part-Time Cost

Part-time sits between full-time and contractor. You get some consistency at a lower commitment. Calculate based on the hours and duration you need.

Hourly rate or pro-rated salary

Hours per week

Employer tax (if applicable)

Pro-rated benefits (if offered)

Total annual cost

Section 4

Annual Comparison Summary

Put all three numbers side by side. Factor in not just the cost, but what you get for each option: hours of availability, level of dedication, quality consistency, and flexibility to scale.

Section 5

Per-Project Comparison

Pick a typical project from your pipeline and calculate the cost using each employment type. This makes the comparison concrete instead of theoretical.

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