Free break-even calculator

See how many paid jobs cover your monthly fixed expenses. Change the price or per-job cost to check whether your expected booking volume is enough.

Free to use. No signup needed. Email your breakdown if you want a copy.

Your numbers

USD

Example inputs. Replace them with your own.

Costs you pay even with no jobs. Include owner pay here if you want to cover it.

The amount you charge, excluding sales tax.

Labor, supplies, travel, and processing costs that increase with each job.

Jobs to break even per month

15

Contribution per job
$100.00
Monthly fixed costs
$1,500.00
Revenue at rounded job count
$2,250.00
Surplus at rounded job count
$0.00

Job count is rounded up. Include owner pay in fixed costs if break-even should cover it. Sales tax collected is not revenue.

How to calculate it

Break-even jobs = monthly fixed costs ÷ (price per job − variable cost per job), rounded up

A worked example

With $1,500 in monthly fixed costs, a $150 selling price, and $50 in variable costs, each job contributes $100. You need 15 jobs and $2,250 in revenue to break even.

Keep fixed and variable costs separate

Fixed costs continue when you have no work, such as insurance or a software subscription. Variable costs grow with the jobs you complete, such as supplies or paid job hours. Count each cost in one place.

Use a contribution that reflects the job mix

If your services have different prices and costs, use a realistic average based on the jobs you expect to sell. A calendar full of lower-contribution jobs may not cover the same fixed costs as your higher-contribution work.

Compare the job count with your capacity

A break-even target has to fit the time you have. If it needs more jobs than you can complete, revisit your price, costs, service scope, or schedule. Breaking even covers only the fixed and variable amounts entered.

Break-even questions

What is contribution per job?
It is the price minus the variable cost of delivering one job. That amount pays toward fixed costs. Once fixed costs are covered, additional contribution becomes surplus before any other costs.
Why is the job count rounded up?
You cannot usually sell part of a completed job. Rounding up gives the first whole job count that covers fixed costs, which may leave a small surplus.
What if my price is below my variable cost?
There is no break-even job count when each job costs as much as or more than it earns. Raise the price or reduce per-job costs before using volume to plan.
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