True cost of an employee calculator
Salary is the visible part of the bill. This calculator adds employer payroll taxes, insurance, benefits, equipment and overhead to show what one US employee actually costs you in a year.
Total annual employer cost
$112,670 to $122,732
That is roughly 1.19 to 1.29 times base salary, or $17,670 to $27,732 on top of pay.
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Base salaryWhat lands on the offer letter | $95,000 | $95,000 |
| Employer FICASocial Security 6.2 percent up to the annual cap plus Medicare 1.45 percent | $7,268 | $7,268 |
| Federal unemployment taxFUTA on the first $7,000 of wages | $42 | $42 |
| State unemployment tax (TX)Experience rated. Mid range assumption 2.70 percent on the first 9,000 dollars | $170 | $389 |
| Workers compensation insuranceVaries widely by class code and claims history | $285 | $855 |
| BenefitsEmployee only medical with a modest employer share, plus basic dental and life | $5,148 | $9,702 |
| Equipment and softwareAnnualized from your stated budget, including refresh cycles | $2,975 | $4,725 |
| Remote overheadStipends, coworking, travel for onsite gatherings and shared admin cost | $1,782 | $4,752 |
How we estimate this
Every figure above is a planning range built from published federal rates, state unemployment schedules and 2026 US market benchmarks for benefits and workplace overhead. It is not a quote and it will not match your payroll register to the dollar.
Payroll taxes
- Employer Social Security is 6.2 percent of wages up to the annual taxable maximum, and employer Medicare is 1.45 percent of all wages with no cap.
- Federal unemployment tax is applied at 0.6 percent on the first 7,000 dollars of wages, which assumes your state is not subject to a credit reduction.
- State unemployment tax is experience rated. We take a representative mid range rate for each state and show a band around it, because a new employer and a stable employer with no claims can pay very different amounts on the same payroll.
Benefits
Basic assumes employee only medical with a modest employer share plus dental and life. Full assumes family medical with a large employer share, dental, vision, disability, life and a retirement match. Both are scaled by a regional cost index because premiums and matching norms differ sharply between markets.
Equipment and overhead
Equipment uses your stated budget with a band around it to reflect refresh cycles and software seats that get added mid year. Office overhead covers space, utilities, facilities services and shared administrative cost per seat. Remote overhead covers home office stipends, coworking, occasional travel to onsite gatherings and the same shared administrative load.
What this excludes
- Bonus, commission and equity compensation.
- One off recruiting cost, which lives in our cost per hire calculator.
- Paid leave, which is already inside base salary rather than added on top.
- State and local payroll levies that apply only in specific cities or counties.
Treat the low end as a lean employer in a low tax state and the high end as a generous employer in an expensive market. Most employers land in the middle.