SaaS Headcount Cost & Fully Loaded Payroll Planner
Calculate fully loaded headcount costs including payroll taxes, benefits, and equipment. Plan hiring budgets and monthly burn impact. Free tool.
Calculated Results
Total Loaded Annual Cost
$3,66,000
Monthly Payroll Burn
$30,500/mo
Total Team Additions
3 employees
Includes 20% employer taxes, healthcare, and benefits loading factor.
About this tool
Payroll is by far the single largest expenditure for any software company, typically accounting for 65% to 80% of total operating expenses. However, budgeting headcount based purely on base gross salaries leads to severe financial shortfalls. A software engineer with a $120,000 base salary costs the company noticeably more than $120,000 a year once you include employer payroll taxes (FICA/Medicare), health insurance premiums, 401(k) matching, equipment hardware, and software seat licenses—an overhead factor known as 'fully loaded payroll load' (typically 20% to 30%). Planning your hiring pipeline with loaded figures prevents accidental runway contractions. Use this calculator to model your fully loaded headcount costs.
How It Works
- 1Add roles to your hiring plan (title, count of employees, and base annual salary).
- 2Set your fully loaded payroll load percentage (default 20% for remote/lean teams, up to 30% for full corporate benefits).
- 3Inspect your total annual headcount cost, monthly payroll burn impact, and total team headcount.
Formula & Math
Transparent LogicLoaded Cost = Annual Salary × (1 + (Load% / 100))
Worked Practical Example
A startup plans to hire 2 Senior Engineers ($120k salary) and 1 Customer Support Lead ($70k salary) with a 20% loaded rate.
Calculation / Steps
Base = ($240k + $70k) = $310k. Loaded = $310,000 × 1.20 = $372,000 annual ($31,000/mo burn).
Expected Result
$372,000 annual fully loaded payroll budget ($31,000/mo incremental burn).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a standard fully loaded payroll load factor?+
Between 20% and 25% for US-based remote tech startups. Traditional enterprise corporations with high healthcare subsidies often use 30%.
How does headcount cost relate to required MRR?+
Every $10,000 in monthly loaded payroll burn requires an additional $12,500 in MRR (at 80% gross margin) just to break even.
When should an early-stage SaaS hire dedicated customer support?+
Founders should handle support until reaching roughly $15k to $25k MRR to maintain direct feedback loops with users experiencing friction.
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