Tools
Can I afford to hire? Break-even calculator
Short answer: you can afford a hire if the extra revenue (or gross profit) the person helps you produce comfortably covers their true cost. This tool takes official employer taxes from the same engine as the main calculator, then compares that cost with a billing rate and billable hours, or with the gross profit on extra jobs. It is a planning estimate, not a loan decision. The article can I afford a helper explains the idea in words.
In a labeled $20-an-hour, 40-hour Indiana example with no software or insurance quote, the official true cost is $45,061.90 a year. At a $65 billing rate you would need about 13.33 billable hours a week, or about 2.17 extra jobs a week if each job leaves $400 after materials, to break even.
Federal overtime here follows the FLSA weekly 40-hour, time-and-a-half rule used in this site’s rate engine. Some states have daily overtime or other rules; this tool does not invent those. Employer taxes use official 2026 IRS and DOL figures. Confirm with your accountant and agencies before you hire or set a price.