How this calculator works
One man-hour is one person working for one hour, so a crew of eight people working a six-hour shift completes 48 man-hours of effort. Multiplying those hours by the hourly pay gives the labour cost of the job. In the other modes the calculator divides the effort a job needs by either the hours each person can give or the number of people available, which tells you the crew size or shift length required. Hours per person can be fractional, and a people answer can also be fractional: 45 man-hours over 6-hour shifts needs 7.5 people, which in practice means eight people or seven people plus overtime.
Formula
Man-hours = people x hours per person. Total labour cost = man-hours x hourly pay. Cost per person = total labour cost / people. People needed = man-hours / hours per person. Hours per person = man-hours / people.
Worked example
Eight people each work six hours at $22 an hour. The job is 8 x 6 = 48 man-hours, costing 48 x $22 = $1,056, or $132 per person. If a job needs 48 man-hours and each person can work 6 hours, it needs 8 people. If 8 people are available, each must work 6 hours.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a man-hour the same as an hour of paid time?
No. Breaks, waiting, travel and rework still occupy paid time but add no productive man-hours. If you are planning a job, use the hours each person is actually available to work on it, or add an allowance for those interruptions.
Should I round the number of people up?
In real scheduling you almost always do, because you cannot hire a fraction of a person. The calculator keeps the exact figure so you can see the shortfall; rounding up and shortening the shift may be cheaper than adding a whole extra worker.
How do I cost overtime?
Enter the blended average rate you pay across the hours, or calculate the regular and overtime hours separately and add the two costs together. A single hourly figure cannot capture a premium that applies only after a threshold.