This tool is designed to help farmers estimate the total cost of employees. It is intended to assist first time employers with understanding and calculating the complete cost of employees, including federal and state payroll taxes, workers compensation, unemployment taxes, as well as any benefits a grower offers to employees beyond their regular hourly wage.
Tax information included in this tool was last updated 5/8/25.
First time using this tool? Read this before you begin.
Click on the "Proceed to Tool" button to use the online version, or download the Excel version. For questions about the spreadsheet tool, contact John Hendrickson at the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin (608-265-3704 or jhendric@wisc.edu).
The Cost of Labor Estimator was created as part of a project to offer diversified fruit and vegetable growers with information, decision-making tools, and resources on hiring and managing labor. Partners in this project include the University of Vermont, University of New Hampshire, Penn State University and the University of Wisconsin. Funding for this project comes from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.