Profit Margin Calculator

Calculate profit margin, markup and the selling price you need to hit a target margin.

What the Profit Margin Calculator does

Margin measures profit against the selling price; markup measures the same profit against cost. A 50% markup gives only a 33% margin — mixing them up is one of the most common and expensive pricing mistakes.

Formula

  • Profit = Price − Cost
  • Margin % = Profit ÷ Price × 100
  • Markup % = Profit ÷ Cost × 100
  • Price for target margin = Cost ÷ (1 − margin)

Inputs explained

InputUnitRequiredNotes
Costselected currencyYesAccepts more than 0.
Selling priceselected currencyOptionalLeave blank if you are setting a target margin instead. Accepts 0 or more.
Target margin%OptionalFill this in to find the required selling price.
Currencyone of 10 optionsOptional

How to use it

  1. Choose Currency.
  2. Enter Cost.
  3. Optionally add Selling price and Target margin.
  4. Select Calculate.

Worked example

An item costs $60 and sells for $100.

Cost
60
Price
100

Profit $40, margin 40%, markup 66.67%.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between margin and markup?

The denominator. Margin divides profit by price, markup divides it by cost. A 100% markup is a 50% margin.

How do I price for a 40% margin?

Divide cost by 0.60. A $60 cost needs a $100 price. Do not add 40% to cost — that gives only a 28.6% margin.

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