Store Staffing Planner
Size your team from demand, not guesswork. Enter expected transactions, handling time, hours open, and wage to see labor hours, FTE needed, and fully loaded labor cost — then check it against a healthy labor % for your segment.
This calculator provides estimates for educational use only. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures are based on current IRS rules — verify against IRS.gov or consult a licensed professional. See our full disclaimer.
Step 1 — Demand
Step 2 — Cost
Staffing Need
Loaded Labor Cost
Labor % of Revenue
Below ~20% — lean for most concepts; verify you are not under-staffing service quality.
* Pure arithmetic from your inputs. Employer-tax default is the 7.65% FICA share (you can change it); benefits % is a user input. Labor % bands are educational ranges; verify for your segment. Educational information, not financial advice.
From Transactions to Loaded Cost
Demand drives hours
Transactions × handling time = total labor minutes. Busier stores need proportionally more staff.
FTE from hours
Weekly labor hours ÷ 40 = full-time equivalents you must fund.
Loaded, not base
Wage + employer tax + benefits = the true hourly cost. The number that hits your P&L.
Labor % check
Loaded cost ÷ revenue. Compare to the healthy band for your segment.
Plan Your Staffing
- Enter expected transactions/day. From your Sales Forecast.
- Set handling time. Minutes of labor per transaction (serve + ring + restock).
- Enter hours open & days/week. Your operating schedule.
- Enter wage & load. Base wage, employer tax, benefits %.
- Read FTE & loaded cost. The team you must fund.
- Check labor %. Compare to the benchmark band for your segment.
Plan Labor, Then Test Feasibility
Full feasibility → use the Viability tool
Drop loaded labor into monthly fixed cost.
Open Startup ViabilityStaffing FAQs
Use your Sales Forecast: daily customers × transactions each. If you expect one transaction per visit, transactions ≈ customers. Refine once you have real traffic data.
Wage plus employer payroll tax (FICA 7.65% + SUTA/FUTA/workers' comp) plus benefits (health, PTO, meals). Loaded cost is typically 25–40% above the base wage — the real number behind every scheduling decision.
It is one of the two or three ratios that decide store profitability. Restaurants run 25–35%, retail 10–20%, salons 50–60%. If your plan sits above the healthy band for your segment, you are over-staffed or under-priced.
The model sums total labor minutes needed; divide by 40 to get FTE. It assumes tasks are sequential per transaction. If multiple staff serve one customer simultaneously, your real need is lower — adjust handling time toward the shared component.
The loaded monthly labor cost from here drops straight into the Startup Viability monthly fixed cost and the labor % benchmark tables for your segment.
Authoritative References
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Manage Your Finances — labor and overhead discipline.
- IRS — Small Business & Self-Employed — employer payroll tax (FICA 7.65%) references.
Estimates only. Employer-tax default is the 7.65% FICA share (you can change it); benefits % is a user input. Labor % bands are educational ranges retrieved 2026-08-13; verify for your segment. Educational information, not financial advice.