Free Job Profit Calculator
Work out the profit on any individual job. Enter the quote, materials, labour, and time to see your true profit and effective hourly rate.
Job Profit Calculator results
Fill in the details and select Calculate to see your figures.
This job profit calculator helps electricians evaluate the profitability of individual jobs before and after completion. Enter your quoted price, material costs, labour costs, and hours worked to see the true profit, margin, and effective hourly rate. Use it to refine your quoting and identify which types of work are most profitable.
How to use the Job Profit Calculator
- Enter the price you quoted (or invoiced) for the job, excluding VAT.
- Add your material costs for the job.
- If you used a subcontractor or paid a mate, enter their cost.
- Enter the total hours you worked on the job, including travel and prep.
- Review your profit, margin, and effective hourly rate to see if the job was worth it.
How the Job Profit Calculator works
Job profit is what is left after every direct cost comes out of the invoice. Dividing that by the hours you actually spent reveals whether the job paid your target rate or quietly lost you money.
- You invoice a consumer unit swap at £850 (ex-VAT). Materials cost £250, you paid a mate £0, and you allocate £60 of overhead to the job.
- Profit = £850 − (£250 + £0 + £60) = £540.
- Margin = £540 ÷ £850 × 100 = 64%.
- It took 6 hours, so your effective rate is £540 ÷ 6 = £90/hour: well above a £45 target.
Count travel, buying materials and clean-up in the hours, and allocate a slice of overhead per job. A job that looks profitable on materials-and-labour alone often falls below target once real time and overhead are in.
Typical UK benchmarks
- Average Electrician Effective Hourly Rate
- £45-£60/hr, average £50 (Checkatrade Electrician Hourly Rate cost guide, 2026)
See it in your business.
Frequently asked questions
What profit margin should I aim for on each job?
As a working guide, Tradehand suggests aiming for at least 25-35% profit margin on each job. This needs to cover your overheads (van, insurance, tools) and still leave a healthy profit. Jobs below 20% margin are usually not worth the effort unless they lead to repeat work.
Why is my effective hourly rate important?
Your effective hourly rate shows what you actually earned per hour on a specific job. If it is lower than your target charge-out rate, you either underquoted, the job took longer than expected, or material costs were higher. Tracking this helps you quote more accurately.
Should I include travel time in hours worked?
Yes. Travel time is part of your cost to deliver the job. If you spend 30 minutes each way, that is an hour of your time. Including travel gives you an honest picture of profitability and helps you decide whether distant jobs are worthwhile.
Should I use the ex-VAT or inc-VAT price for job profit?
Always ex-VAT. VAT you charge is passed to HMRC, not income, so including it overstates your profit. Enter the ex-VAT quote and your ex-VAT costs (you reclaim the VAT on materials if registered). If you are not VAT registered, your figures are already ex-VAT.
How do I account for a CIS deduction on this job?
If you are a CIS subcontractor, the contractor deducts 20% (or 30% if unverified) from the labour portion before paying you and passes it to HMRC against your tax bill. It does not reduce the job's profit: calculate profit on the full invoice value and treat the deduction as tax paid in advance, reconciled in your self-assessment.
