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Profit Margin Calculator

Margin, markup and profit from any two numbers, with the conversion table.

Profit margin
33.33%
share of the sale price
Markup
50%
added on top of cost
Profit
$50.00
Selling price
$150.00

Margin to markup, the quick reference

MarginEquivalent markup
10%11.11%
15%17.65%
20%25%
25%33.33%
30%42.86%
33.3%49.93%
40%66.67%
50%100%
60%150%
66.7%200.3%
75%300%

Margin and markup are never the same number except at zero. A 50% markup is a 33.3% margin, which is the mistake that quietly costs the most money.

Margin on a product is arithmetic. Margin on your time is not.

A fixed fee job only has a margin if you know what it cost you in hours. PomoTodo tracks time against each client and project, so the cost side of that sum stops being a guess.

Free plan tracks unlimited focus time across unlimited tasks. No card required.

Margin and markup are the same three numbers read two different ways, which is exactly why they get mixed up and why the mix up is expensive.

Margin is the share of the selling price that is profit. Markup is how much you added on top of what it cost you. Sell something for 150 that cost you 100 and you have a 50 percent markup, but only a 33.3 percent margin. Quote one when you meant the other and the money quietly goes missing.

Enter whichever pair of numbers you have. Cost and price, cost and the margin you need to hit, or cost and the markup you normally apply. All four figures come back at once, so there is nothing left to convert in your head. The table underneath maps common margins to their equivalent markups.

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Questions

How do I calculate profit margin?

Subtract the cost from the selling price, then divide by the selling price. A product costing 100 and selling for 150 has a profit of 50, which divided by 150 gives a margin of 33.3 percent.

What is the difference between margin and markup?

Margin measures profit against the selling price, markup measures it against the cost. The same sale is always a smaller margin than markup. A 50 percent markup is a 33.3 percent margin, and a 100 percent markup is a 50 percent margin.

How do I work out the price for a target margin?

Divide the cost by one minus the margin. To make 40 percent on something that costs 60, the price is 60 divided by 0.6, which is 100. Choose the target margin mode above and it does this for you.

Why can a margin never reach 100 percent?

Margin is the share of the price that is profit, so getting to 100 percent would mean the item cost nothing. As the target margin approaches 100 the required price rises towards infinity, which is why the calculator stops short of it.