finance calculator

Profit Margin Calculator

Compute net profit and profit margin from revenue and total expenses.

Results

Net profit
$40,000 USD
Profit margin
26.67%

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter total revenue for the period you want to analyze (for example, last month, last quarter, or last year).
  2. Enter total expenses for that same period, including cost of goods sold, payroll, rent, marketing, utilities, and other overhead.
  3. We subtract total expenses from revenue to calculate net profit.
  4. We divide net profit by revenue to calculate profit margin as a percentage.
  5. Review both the dollar profit and the margin percentage to understand how efficiently your business converts sales into profit.

Inputs explained

Revenue
Total income from sales or services for the period you’re measuring, before any expenses are subtracted.
Total expenses
All costs for the same period, including cost of goods sold (COGS), payroll, rent, utilities, software, marketing, and other operating or overhead expenses.

How it works

Net profit is the money left after subtracting all expenses—cost of goods sold, operating costs, overhead, and other charges—from your revenue.

We compute net profit as: net profit = revenue − total expenses.

Profit margin shows net profit as a percentage of revenue: profit margin = net profit ÷ revenue.

This calculator focuses on overall net margin for a period (month, quarter, year), not per-product margins or contribution margins.

Formula

Net profit = Revenue − Total expenses\nProfit margin = Net profit ÷ Revenue\n\nFor example, if revenue is $150,000 and total expenses are $110,000, net profit = $40,000 and profit margin ≈ 26.7%.

When to use it

  • Assessing bottom-line profitability for a business, product line, or project over a chosen period.
  • Comparing profit margins across months, quarters, or fiscal years to see whether profitability is improving or slipping.
  • Benchmarking your margin against industry averages or competitors when evaluating pricing and cost structure.
  • Checking whether a new product, client, or channel is truly profitable after accounting for all associated expenses.
  • Helping non-finance stakeholders understand what headline revenue really means in terms of take-home profit.

Tips & cautions

  • Be thorough when adding expenses—leaving out overhead (like software subscriptions or owner salary) can make margins look artificially high.
  • Use consistent time periods for revenue and expenses so you aren’t mixing months or fiscal years.
  • Pair this net profit margin with gross margin and contribution margin to get a fuller picture of where profits are made or lost.
  • Track margins over time to spot trends; a small margin today may be acceptable if it’s growing, but a shrinking margin is a red flag.
  • Consider creating separate calculations for recurring revenue vs one-off projects to avoid mixing very different business models.
  • Does not break out fixed vs variable costs or allocate expenses to individual products, customers, or channels.
  • Treats all expenses as a single total; you may need a full P&L to understand which categories are driving margin changes.
  • Ignores taxes, financing costs, and non-cash items unless you include them in total expenses.
  • Provides a snapshot for a specific period; it does not forecast future profitability or incorporate seasonality.

Worked examples

$150k revenue, $110k expenses

  • Net profit = $150,000 − $110,000 = $40,000.
  • Profit margin = $40,000 ÷ $150,000 ≈ 26.7%.
  • Interpretation: about 27 cents of every revenue dollar remains after covering all expenses.

$80k revenue, $60k expenses

  • Net profit = $80,000 − $60,000 = $20,000.
  • Profit margin = $20,000 ÷ $80,000 = 25%.
  • Interpretation: one quarter of revenue becomes profit; if this is below your target margin, examine your costs or pricing.

Breakeven scenario

  • If revenue and total expenses are both $50,000, net profit = $0.
  • Profit margin = $0 ÷ $50,000 = 0%.
  • Interpretation: you have broken even for the period—no profit and no loss, which may or may not be acceptable depending on your goals.

Deep dive

Use this profit margin calculator to see your net profit and profit margin from revenue and total expenses in one quick view.

Enter your business’s revenue and all-in expenses to understand true bottom-line profitability, not just gross margin.

Ideal for small-business owners, freelancers, and managers who want a fast profitability sanity check before making pricing or cost decisions.

FAQs

How is this different from gross margin?
Gross margin subtracts only direct costs (COGS) from revenue, while profit margin subtracts all expenses, including overhead, payroll, rent, and other operating costs.
What is a good profit margin?
It depends heavily on your industry and business model. Some industries operate on single-digit margins, while others target 20%+ net margins. Compare against peers and your own historical performance rather than a one-size-fits-all number.
Should I use this for individual products or only for the whole business?
This calculator works for either, as long as you allocate revenue and expenses consistently. For product-level decisions, make sure you include all relevant direct and indirect costs for that product.

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This profit margin calculator is for estimation and planning only. It simplifies your income and expense structure and may not match formal accounting standards. Always work with a qualified accountant or finance professional for official financial reporting, tax filing, and major business decisions.