True Hourly Rate Calculator: what you really earn
You know your revenue. But after expenses — and all the unpaid hours spent cleaning, driving, and doing admin — what do you actually earn per hour? This calculator tells you the honest number.
The number most groomers never calculate
Ask a groomer what they make and they'll usually quote revenue, or maybe revenue minus product. Almost nobody divides their real take-home by every hour the business actually consumes — including the unpaid ones.
The hours that disappear from the math:
- Cleaning and setup between dogs
- Driving, errands, and supply runs
- Admin — booking, invoicing, texts, no-shows
- Marketing and social media
How to use this calculator
Enter your monthly revenue, your business expenses, and both your paid and unpaid hours. We'll show what you actually earn for every hour the business takes.
What to do with the number
If it's lower than minimum wage: you don't have a pricing problem, you have a profitability problem. Raising prices or cutting unpaid hours are your two levers.
Cut the unpaid hours: batch admin into one block, automate booking and reminders, and systematize cleanup. Every unpaid hour you remove raises your true rate.
Then raise prices: once you know your true rate, you can price to hit a real target instead of guessing.
Common questions
Our business foundations course teaches the financial systems behind a profitable grooming business — pricing, expenses, and paying yourself properly.
How to Calculate What You Actually Need to Charge — $49