Work out what percentage of your available hours are actually billable. This single number tells you more about your agency's efficiency than almost any other metric.
Enter the total hours available per week for the person or team you are measuring. For a full-time employee, this is typically 40 hours. For a team, multiply by headcount. Do not subtract lunch breaks or admin time yet, that is what this calculator reveals.
Enter the hours per week spent on work you can bill to a client. This includes active project work, client meetings that are part of a paid scope, and any other time that directly generates revenue. Do not include internal meetings, business development, admin, or training.
Your utilisation rate is the percentage of available time that generates revenue. The formula: (billable hours / available hours) x 100.
Use these benchmarks to gauge where you stand. These numbers come from agency industry reports and reflect common ranges for creative businesses.
| Rate Range | Rating | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Below 50% | Needs attention | Too much time on non-revenue work. Review processes and staffing. |
| 50% to 65% | Average | Typical for agencies with room to improve. Look at where non-billable time goes. |
| 65% to 80% | Good | Healthy range for most creative agencies. Enough capacity for growth and internal work. |
| Above 80% | High, watch for burnout | Great for revenue, but leaves little room for business development, training, or rest. Not sustainable long-term. |
Based on your current rate and the benchmarks above, set a realistic target utilisation rate. Most agencies should aim for 65% to 75%. Write down what you will change to get there.