Free labor cost calculator
Enter your labor cost and sales for a period to see labor as a percentage of sales — one of the biggest levers on restaurant profit. Free, no sign-up.
Free tool
Calculate labor cost %
Enter total labor cost and total sales for the same period.
Everything is calculated in your browser — no data is sent anywhere, and there's no sign-up.
How it works
Understanding the numbers
Why labor cost percentage matters
Labor cost percentage is wages divided by sales over a period. Together with food cost it makes up your prime cost — the two biggest controllable expenses. Watching it live, not just at month-end, lets you catch overstaffing before it eats the day.
Bringing it down
- Build schedules around real demand, not habit.
- Watch labor against sales during the shift, not after.
- Cross-train staff so you can flex coverage as it gets busy or quiet.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Many full-service venues target roughly 25–35%, but it varies widely by concept and service style. Track your own and trend it.
At minimum wages for the period; for a fuller picture, include taxes and on-costs too. Just keep it consistent period to period.
Yes — no login, and your numbers stay in your browser.
Stop calculating by hand
Menulisa tracks these numbers automatically from your real sales, labor, and inventory — always current.