Technician Pay & True-Cost Calculator
Change any number in a box and the totals update instantly — the pay rate, a price, a commission %, how many were sold, or your workers'-comp rate.
Upgrades he sells this period
Prices are pre-filled from your live Housecall Pro estimates on Oct 23, 2026 — change any of them. "A system he refers" is a flat finder's fee paid when the lead sells, not a percentage.
The result
Tech's gross pay this period
$1,000
Hourly wages$1,000.00
Upgrade bonuses$0.00
Referral finder fees$0.00
This is what you pay him, before his own taxes come out of his check.
Your total cost this period
$1,127
His gross pay$1,000.00
+ Payroll tax (7.65%)$76.50
+ Workers' comp$50.00
You pay $1,127 to put $1,000 in his pocket — about 12.7% on top of his pay (plus the one-time unemployment taxes below).
One more cost, shown separately so it doesn't overstate your weekly number: Unemployment taxes (federal FUTA 0.6% + Florida reemployment 2.7%) apply only to the first $7,000 of his wages each year — about $231 total, spread across his first few months, then $0 the rest of the year. New Florida employers pay the 2.7% reemployment rate for the first 10 quarters.
Rate sources (verify before you finalize): Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45% (SS wage base $184,500 for 2026, far above his pay, so the full 7.65% applies all year) · FUTA 0.6% effective on first $7,000 · Florida reemployment new-employer 2.7% on first $7,000. Figures are from payroll references (Paychex, Gusto, Netchex), not IRS/SSA primary pages — confirm with your accountant. Workers' comp is carrier- and class-code-specific, which is why it's an input, not a fixed number.