Business Tools

Profit Margin Calculator

Calculate profit margin, markup percentage, and total profit based on cost and revenue. Essential for pricing products and business planning.

Use Profit Margin Calculator to get instant results without uploads or sign-ups. Everything runs securely in your browser for fast, reliable output.

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About this tool

Every business needs to know its numbers. The Profit Margin Calculator helps you determine the profitability of an item.

It highlights the critical difference between "Margin" and "Markup". Margin is profit as a percentage of revenue. Markup is profit as a percentage of cost. Confusing these two can lead to underpricing your products.

Usage examples

Standard Margin

Cost $50, Sell $100

Margin: 50%, Markup: 100%, Profit: $50

Retail Pricing

Cost $50, Want 20% Margin

Sell Price must be $62.50

How to use

  1. Enter the "Cost" of the item.
  2. Enter the "Revenue" (Selling Price).
  3. Click "Calculate" to see your Margin and Markup.
  4. Alternatively, enter Cost and desired Margin to find the Revenue needed.

Benefits

  • Calculates Margin, Markup, and Profit
  • Supports reverse calculation (Goal seek)
  • Clear Margin vs Markup comparison
  • Works for any currency

FAQs

What is the difference between Margin and Markup?

Margin = (Price - Cost) / Price. Markup = (Price - Cost) / Cost. Margin is always lower than Markup (unless cost is zero).

How do I calculate profit margin?

Profit margin = ((Revenue - Cost) / Revenue) × 100. For example, if you sell for $100 and cost is $70, your margin is 30%.

What is a good profit margin?

It varies by industry. Retail typically sees 2-5%, software 70-90%, restaurants 3-5%. Higher margins generally indicate better profitability.

Can I use this for gross margin calculation?

Yes, enter your revenue (sales price) and cost of goods sold (COGS) to calculate gross profit margin. This shows profitability before operating expenses.

Why is markup higher than margin for the same product?

Markup uses cost as the denominator while margin uses price (which is higher). For example, a $50 item sold for $100 has 100% markup ($50/$50) but only 50% margin ($50/$100). The difference becomes more pronounced with higher margins - always specify which you're discussing to avoid confusion.

How do I price products to achieve a target margin?

To find selling price from cost and desired margin: Price = Cost / (1 - Margin%). For example, if cost is $50 and you want 40% margin: $50 / (1 - 0.40) = $83.33. This ensures your margin goal is met. Never confuse this with markup, which would give you a different (lower) price.

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