Hire vs automate cost comparator
Compare the fully-loaded cost of hiring to automation tooling. This calculator shows breakeven, annual savings, and when automation becomes cheaper than a full-time hire.
Fully-loaded hiring cost
Include salary, benefits, and overhead to price a true hire.
Automation coverage
Estimate how much of the role automation can realistically take on.
Savings and payback
See annual savings and payback period for automation investments.
Enter your hiring inputs
Use annual salary figures. Benefits and overhead are a percent of base salary.
Founder tip
Automation coverage should be conservative. Overestimating coverage can make tools look cheaper than they are.
Hire vs automate snapshot
Compare the first-year cost of hiring versus automation.
Fully-loaded annual hire
$126,000
Ramp cost included: $21,000
Automation annual value
$88,200
Coverage: 70.0% of role
Automation cost (year 1)
$17,400
Automation payback
0.5 months
Hire vs automate delta
$129,600
Positive means hiring costs more than automation in year 1.
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How this comparator works
We calculate fully-loaded hiring cost and compare it to automation value and costs. Automation value is the portion of the role that can be replaced by tools, while automation cost includes software subscriptions and setup.
1. Fully-loaded cost
Salary + benefits + overhead, plus ramp time cost.
2. Automation value
Role cost multiplied by automation coverage.
3. Payback
Setup cost divided by monthly net savings.
This calculator helps founders decide where automation makes financial sense before hiring.
When to hire vs automate
Automation is best when the workflow is repeatable and time-intensive. Hiring is better when the role requires judgment, relationship management, or rapid iteration.
Keyword tip
Founders search for "hire vs automate calculator", "automation vs hiring cost", and "hire vs automation ROI".
FAQs
What is a fully-loaded cost?
Fully-loaded cost includes salary plus benefits and overhead. This tool calculates it from your inputs.
What does automation coverage mean?
It is the percentage of a role’s workload that automation can realistically replace or offload.
How do you calculate payback?
Payback is setup cost divided by monthly net savings from automation.
Is my data stored?
No. All calculations run locally in your browser and nothing is stored on the server.