Pricing a staffing assignment is easier when wage, employment cost and client rate are visible in one calculation. Our free staffing margin calculator shows the estimated cost per hour, bill rate, margin per hour and margin percentage as soon as you change an input.
It is designed for staffing agencies operating in the Netherlands and can model normal hours, overtime and irregular hours. You can also scale the hourly result across weekly hours and a group of workers to see an indicative weekly, monthly and annual margin.
What the free margin calculator calculates
For normal hours, the tool uses three commercial inputs:
- gross hourly wage
- cost factor
- billing factor
The estimated hourly cost is the gross wage multiplied by the cost factor. The estimated bill rate is the gross wage multiplied by the billing factor. The difference is the projected margin per hour.
The margin percentage shown by the tool is the hourly margin divided by the bill rate. This is different from adding a markup to cost, so keeping the definitions visible prevents two people from discussing different percentages.
How to use the calculator
1. Select the type of hours
Choose normal hours, overtime or irregular hours. For overtime and irregular work, the calculator opens extra fields for the surcharge and the factors applied to that surcharge.
2. Enter the gross hourly wage
Use the wage that applies to the assignment you are pricing. The preset buttons are only shortcuts; every value can be replaced.
3. Check the cost factor
The cost factor converts gross wage into an indicative employment cost. It may need to cover items such as holiday accrual, employer charges, pension, sickness risk and other agency-specific costs.
Do not treat the default as advice for every assignment. The correct factor depends on the applicable CAO, sector, client conditions and your own cost model.
4. Enter the billing factor
The billing factor converts gross wage into the proposed client rate. Change it until the result reflects both a competitive price and the margin required by your business.
5. Add hours and workers
Hourly margin alone can hide the size of a pricing decision. Enter expected hours per week and the number of workers to see the projected result across the assignment.
6. Export the result
Download the calculation as CSV or save the page as a PDF for an internal pricing discussion. The export is a working estimate, not a payroll or legal document.
Worked example
Suppose the gross wage is €16.00, the cost factor is 1.80 and the billing factor is 2.20.
- estimated cost: €16.00 × 1.80 = €28.80 per hour
- estimated bill rate: €16.00 × 2.20 = €35.20 per hour
- projected margin: €35.20 − €28.80 = €6.40 per hour
- projected margin percentage: €6.40 ÷ €35.20 = 18.2%
For ten workers at 40 hours per week, the same assumptions produce an indicative weekly margin of €2,560. A small change in either factor therefore becomes material at assignment level.
How overtime and irregular hours are handled
When a surcharge applies, the calculator separates the base wage from the extra wage component. You can apply a different cost factor and billing factor to the surcharge. This is useful when the client agreement does not price the surcharge in exactly the same way as the base hour.
Check the applicable rules before sending a quotation. The calculator helps compare scenarios; it does not determine which CAO, surcharge or premium applies.
Common pricing mistakes the tool helps expose
Using bill rate minus gross wage as margin
Gross wage is not the full cost of supplying a worker. The cost factor is there to make the wider employment cost visible.
Confusing margin with markup
Margin percentage is calculated against revenue. Markup is calculated against cost. They are not interchangeable.
Checking only the hourly result
A difference of €0.25 per hour looks small until it is multiplied by many workers and thousands of hours.
Reusing one factor for every assignment
Risk, absence, pension, allowances and client terms can differ. Save assumptions with each quotation so the commercial team can explain the result later.
Use the free calculator now
Open the staffing margin calculator, select English, Dutch or Polish, and compare the pricing scenarios relevant to your assignment. For the operational cost that appears outside normal office hours, use the after-hours support cost calculator.
FAQ
Is the staffing margin calculator free?
Yes. It can be used without an account and includes CSV and print-to-PDF options.
Does it calculate payroll exactly?
No. It is an indicative commercial calculator. Verify current CAO rules, employer charges, pension, premiums and agency-specific costs before quoting.
Can it calculate overtime?
Yes. Choose overtime or irregular hours and enter the relevant surcharge plus the cost and billing factors for that surcharge.
What is a good staffing margin?
There is no universal percentage. The required margin depends on service scope, risk, volume, payment terms, recruiter workload and the real cost model of the agency.