Employee Cost Calculator
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate the true cost of an employee — gross salary plus the country’s statutory loadings (payroll taxes, pensions, insurance, mandated benefits) plus benefits and overhead: the number budgets need, which is never the salary.
Quick answer: Rule of thumb by country: US total ≈ 1.25-1.4× salary; UK ≈ +15% (NI + pension); India ≈ +16-18% (PF, gratuity, bonus); UAE ≈ +8-10% (gratuity accrual, insurance); Australia ≈ +17% (super, leave loadings, workers comp). Enter a salary and country for the build-up.
Statutory Loading Profiles (At Last Update — Verify Rates)
| Country | Mandatory on top of salary | Typical % |
|---|---|---|
| US | FICA 7.65% + FUTA/SUTA ~1-3% + workers comp 1-3% (+ health in practice) | 10-14% statutory; 25-40% with health |
| UK | Employer NI 15% above threshold + auto-enrol pension 3% | ~15-17% |
| India | Employer PF 12% of basic + gratuity 4.81% of basic + statutory bonus where applicable | ~16-18% (basic-dependent) |
| UAE | Gratuity accrual ~5.5-8.3% of basic + medical insurance + ILOE | ~8-12% |
| Australia | Super 12% + workers comp 1-2% + payroll tax (state, above thresholds) | ~15-19% |
| Canada | CPP 5.95% + EI 2.28% + WC + 4% vacation where payout-based | ~12-15% |
| Singapore | Employer CPF 17% (to ceilings) + SDL | ~17% |
| Philippines | SSS 10% + PhilHealth 2.5% + Pag-IBIG + 13th month 8.3% | ~20-22% |
Worked Example
US $80,000 hire: statutory ~$9,600 + health $12,000 + overhead $4,000 = $105,600 true cost (1.32×) — before recruiting (cost per hire) and ramp time. The same budget hires at ~$88k fully-loaded in the UK or ~₹70L-equivalent structures in India — the comparison EOR sales decks monetize.
Using Loaded Cost Properly
Pricing: bill rates must clear loaded cost ÷ utilization (the consulting multiple’s origin). Budgeting: headcount plans at salary-only run 25-35% hot. Build-vs-outsource: compare loaded cost per productive hour (real hours), not salaries. And remote-first hiring across countries: the loading DIFFERENCE is often bigger than the salary difference — run both columns before picking the “cheaper” country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the true cost of an employee?
Salary + statutory loadings (country-specific 8-22%) + benefits + per-seat overhead — typically 1.25-1.4× salary in the US, closer to 1.15-1.2× where healthcare is public.
What does an $80k US employee actually cost?
Around $100-112k: $6,120 FICA + unemployment/workers comp + $8-15k health + equipment/software overhead.
Which country has the highest employer loadings?
Among profiles here: Philippines (~20-22% incl. 13th month) and Singapore’s 17% CPF lead statutory rates; France/Belgium (30-45%) top the global league outside this list.
Is India cheap to employ beyond salaries?
Loadings are moderate (~16-18% on basic-driven items) — the structure (basic %) moves the number more than the headline salary does.
How should loaded cost drive billing rates?
Rate ≥ loaded cost ÷ (billable utilization): a $105k loaded engineer at 70% utilization needs $72/hour just to break even.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026