Salon RPLH calculator
Service revenue ÷ paid stylist hours — and how that stacks up against wage cost.
Revenue per labor hour (RPLH) = service revenue ÷ paid stylist hours. If a week brings in $12,000 of service sales across 400 paid hours, RPLH is $30. Compare that to what each hour costs you in wages and payroll tax to see if the hour paid for itself.
Try it with your numbers
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere. Example defaults are illustrative — replace them with your week or month.
How the math works
Use service revenue (hair, color, nails — usually not retail alone unless you want an all-in view). Use paid hours: the hours you actually paid, not only booked client hours. Empty paid time still counts.
Example (illustrative): $12,000 service sales ÷ 400 paid hours = $30 RPLH. If wages plus payroll tax average $28 per hour, that week clears the wage floor by about $2 per hour. If RPLH is $22 against a $28 floor, every hour is underwater on labor alone. More on benchmarks: what is a good RPLH for a salon and the full RPLH guide.
Why a monthly average can hide bad days
A salon can clear RPLH for the month and still lose money on quiet weekdays. Three stylists clocked in for eight hours with a thin book will drag RPLH down even if Saturday looks strong. Check by day and by stylist, not only the month. See busy but not profitable, closing slow days, and the free break-even calculator.
Quick answers
How do I calculate salon RPLH?
Divide service revenue by paid stylist hours for the same period. Example: $12,000 ÷ 400 hours = $30 RPLH.
Should I include retail in RPLH?
Most owners start with service revenue only, so labor is judged against chair work. You can run a second all-in number if retail is a big share of the day.
What break-even should I compare RPLH to?
Use average wage plus payroll tax per paid hour for the same team and period. That is the wage floor each hour needs to clear before rent and other fixed costs.
Is this calculator free?
Yes. It runs in your browser and does not send your numbers anywhere.