Overhead Calculator
Calculate total overhead from six indirect cost categories — then see four overhead rate methods simultaneously: per labor hour, per unit, per machine hour, and as a percentage of sales. Includes a cost stack breakdown showing each category's share, and a fixed vs variable overhead split.
Enter your overhead costs
Enter all indirect costs for the same period. Use a preset to get started, then adjust to match your actual cost structure.
Core formulas
Total overhead = sum of all indirect costs
Rate/labor hr = Total ÷ Direct labor hrs
Rate/unit = Total ÷ Units produced
% of sales = (Total ÷ Sales) × 100
% of DL cost = (Total ÷ DL cost) × 100
Fixed vs variable matters
Fixed overhead (rent, admin salary) stays constant as volume changes — making overhead per unit fall as output rises. Variable overhead (utilities, indirect materials) moves with activity. Knowing the split helps forecast how overhead behaves as the business scales.
Frequently asked questions
What is overhead?
Overhead refers to all indirect business costs — expenses required to keep the business running that cannot be traced directly to one specific product, customer, or job. Rent, utilities, insurance, administrative salaries, and software subscriptions are common examples.
What is a good overhead rate?
There is no universal benchmark — it depends on your industry, business model, and pricing structure. Service businesses commonly run overhead at 20–40% of revenue. Manufacturers often target lower. The key is whether your gross margin is sufficient to cover both overhead and deliver the profit margin you need.
Is indirect labor overhead?
Yes. Indirect labor — salaries and wages for staff who support the overall operation but are not directly building a product or serving a specific customer — is a standard overhead cost. Examples include production supervisors, quality control staff, HR, and office administration.
Which allocation base should I use?
Choose the base that best represents how overhead is consumed in your business. Labor-intensive businesses typically use direct labor hours or direct labor cost. Machine-intensive manufacturers use machine hours. Service businesses often use service hours or project count. Retailers and general businesses often use percentage of sales for simplicity.
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Disclaimer
This calculator is for educational and planning purposes only. It does not provide accounting, tax, pricing, audit, or legal advice. Actual overhead treatment may differ based on your chart of accounts, cost allocation method, inventory valuation system, and internal management reporting policies.