Technician type

Base compensation

Hourly wage / rate

What you pay the tech per hour

Hours per week

Weeks worked per year Subtract vacation, sick days

Billable efficiency (%)

% of hours actually billed to customers

Employer taxes & benefits (employee only)

FICA / Social Security + Medicare Employer share — 7.65% of wages

FUTA / SUTA (unemployment tax) Typically $420–$600/year per employee

Workers comp insurance HVAC/electrical: ~$8–$15 per $100 wages

Health insurance contribution Your portion of employee health plan

Paid time off (vacation, sick) Avg value of PTO days per month

Other benefits 401k match, dental, uniform, phone

1099 Subcontractor — Simplified

With a 1099 subcontractor you pay their rate directly — no employer taxes, no benefits, no workers comp (verify with your insurer). However, their rate is typically 15–30% higher than an equivalent employee wage to account for their own self-employment taxes.

⚠️ Misclassifying employees as contractors can result in IRS penalties. Consult a CPA if unsure.

Overhead allocated to this technician

Vehicle / fuel per month Truck payment + gas + maintenance

Tools & equipment (monthly cost) Depreciation or payments on tools

Phone & communication Cell plan, tablet, radio

Uniform / PPE per month Shirts, boots, safety gear

Training / licensing Monthly cost of certifications, courses

Please enter the hourly wage.

True cost per billable hour

$—

You pay $— but the tech costs $— per hour total

Min. billable rate needed: $—/hr

Annual tech cost

—

total employer cost

Monthly tech cost

—

all-in per month

True cost / hour paid

—

vs wage paid

Billable hours / year

—

at —% efficiency

Non-billable cost

—

downtime you absorb

Overhead burden

—

per billable hour

Full annual cost breakdown

Cost item	Annual ($)

Minimum billable rates to break even on this tech

At 10% profit margin—

At 20% profit margin—

At 30% profit margin—

At 40% profit margin—

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AI Labor Insights

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What Does a TechnicianReally Cost You?

Your tech costs money every hour.Make every call count.

What Does a Technician
Really Cost You?

Your tech costs money every hour.
Make every call count.