FREE CALCULATOR
Free tech hiring break-even calculator
Find out exactly when a new technician hire becomes profitable. Enter the total labor cost, training investment, ramp timeline, and expected billable hours to see the break-even week, and the total revenue generated by the time the hire pays for itself. No signup, no data stored, runs entirely in your browser.
Tech Hiring Break-Even Calculator, fill in your hiring costs and expected revenue to see when the new hire pays off.
Hiring Costs
Ramp Period
Week 1–2 productivity relative to a full solo schedule
Productivity by end of ramp period
Full-Ramp Revenue
After materials, vehicle, and overhead allocation
Break-Even Point
N/A
N/A
Revenue generated by break-even
N/A
Weekly net contribution at full ramp
N/A
Total to recover
N/A
When the new tech starts, Claver covers 2 users on Starter and 8 on Crew at one flat price, with no per-seat fees.
Start for $1What a technician hiring break-even analysis should include
A real break-even analysis for a new field tech goes beyond just comparing salary to revenue. These are the eight variables that determine whether the hire is profitable, and when.
- New tech base salary or hourly rate. The total annual labor cost including wage, payroll taxes, and benefits, which is the primary commitment the business is taking on
- Training and onboarding cost. The time and materials cost to get the tech field-ready, including the senior tech's time pulled off billable work during shadowing
- Ramp period. The number of weeks before the new tech is running a full solo schedule, since a new hire typically reaches 50 to 70 percent productivity in weeks 1 through 4 and full productivity around week 8
- Expected billable hours per week at full ramp. The weekly hours that should be invoiced once the tech is running solo, which drives the break-even timeline
- Average revenue per billable hour. The typical hourly rate charged to customers, which sets the gross revenue per week from the new tech
- Gross margin on the tech's work. The margin after direct costs (materials, vehicle, overhead share), which determines the net contribution to break-even
- Months to break even. The number of months before the cumulative net contribution from the new hire exceeds the total onboarding cost
- Revenue generated at break-even. The total gross revenue the tech will have produced by the time the business recoups the onboarding investment
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Test readings, parts, and labor, with a sign-off line for the customer. Prints as a PDF.
Keep the numbers when the job is booked
Inside Claver the same estimate becomes the quote you send, and the quote becomes the invoice you get paid on, so nobody retypes a price between the driveway and the bank.
Start for $1$1 for 14 days, then $19/mo. Card required. Cancel any time.
Tech hiring break-even calculator FAQ
How do I calculate the break-even point for a new technician hire?
Add up the total cost of hiring and onboarding the tech, wages during the ramp period, training cost, and any equipment or uniforms. Divide by the weekly net contribution (revenue from their billable hours minus their direct costs) to get the number of weeks to break even. Most field service businesses reach break-even on a new tech hire between 8 and 20 weeks.
Is this calculator really free?
Yes, the break-even calculator is free with no signup, no credit card, and no data stored on a server, so the hiring and cost information stays on the device.
What should I expect for a new tech's ramp period?
Most field technicians reach 40 to 60 percent of full productivity in their first two weeks and full solo productivity by week 6 to 10. Factors that extend the ramp include complex trade licensing requirements, a wide service area with many equipment types, and a small support team that can't dedicate senior tech time to shadowing.