Brewery Labor Cost % of Revenue Spreadsheet
✅ Sample Version (no sign-up required)
Add individual employees and assign them to departments
Calculate Total Annual Labor Cost for hourly employees
Calculate Total Revenue for comparison against Total Annual Labor Cost (Labor Cost %)
Manually enter industry benchmarks for comparison
All data presented in a simple, no-frills layout
🔒 Get the Full Version (free with newsletter sign-up)
Everything in the Sample Version, plus:
See Total Annual Labor Cost broken out by department
Automatically calculate payroll taxes using standard employer rates
Add estimated workers’ comp, health benefits, and other monthly fringes
See the fully-loaded Total Annual Labor Cost per employee and by department
Calculate variances (dollars and percentages) from industry benchmarks
Charts that illustrate labor cost by department and industry norms
Revenue Per Labor Hour calculated for each department
Conditional formatting highlights problem areas at a glance
Includes total and departmental summaries for easier decision-making
More polished layout
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Who is this brewery labor cost worksheet for?
Craft brewery owners, or managers, who want to track labor costs and compare themselves to industry benchmarks - thereby optimizing profitability.
What does this labor cost worksheet do?
Allows you to break down labor costs by department: Taproom, Production, Sales, Admin, and Other
Calculates total labor expenses, including wages (for both hourly and salaried employees), payroll taxes, workers' compensation, and other benefits
Compares labor cost percentages of revenue against industry benchmarks
Identifies areas where labor expenses fall short of or exceed industry standards and isolate where changes might need to be made.
When should a brewery owner use this?
Monthly, quarterly, and/or annually to evaluate labor cost efficiency
When conducting performance reviews with employees
Before making hiring or other staffing decisions
When setting prices
Where should you use this labor cost worksheet?
During financial planning and strategy meetings
During the budgeting/forecasting process for the upcoming quarter/year
When looking for cost-saving opportunities
Why is labor cost reporting important?
Labor is one of the biggest expenses for craft breweries like yours. This spreadsheet will help you:
Control costs while maintaining quality service
Ensure labor efficiency by tracking costs per department
Benchmark against industry standards to stay competitive
Identify overspending and areas for cost savings
How to use the labor cost percentage of revenue benchmarking spreadsheet
Note that the SAMPLE version of this calculator won’t have as much content as the FULL version. So, all of the following steps might not apply.
1. Input brewery revenue
Go to cells C2-C4 on the Benchmarking worksheet and enter:
Revenue from Taproom
Revenue from Distribution
Other Revenue
Tip: Get this information from your sales reports or accounting software
2. Enter details about employee compensation
On the Employee Data worksheet, columns B–C, fill in:
Department (Taproom, Production, Sales, Admin, and Other)
Employee names
3. Enter weekly hours, hourly pay,
On the Employee Data worksheet columns D-F, enter:
Weekly Hours and Hourly Wage ($)
If the employee is hourly
Annual Salary
If the employee is salaried
The spreadsheet will automatically black out cells to avoid an error
Tip: Use payroll records or data from time-tracking software for steps 2 & 3
4. Review payroll tax, workers’ comp, and benefit amounts
On the Employee Data worksheet, columns I-K, input:
Annual Workers’ Comp (if applicable, see below)
Monthly health benefits (enter actual cost per employee)
Other benefits (e.g., 401k, bonuses)
Annual Workers’ Comp will also be calculated for you based on an assumption of 3.5% of Annual Wages. This can be adjusted in cell I2.
Annual Payroll Taxes will be automatically calculated for you - assuming 7.65% of Annual Wages.
5. Review the Total Annual Labor Cost
Total labor cost: Calculated in Column L
Labor by department: The pie chart on the Employee Data tab visualizes Total Annual Labor Costs for Taproom, Production, Sales, Admin, and Other.
Department variance analysis: Columns E-F on the Benchmarking tab allow you to compare your brewery’s labor cost percentages (of revenue) against industry benchmarks.
Identify problem areas: The department variance analysis is visualized in an adjacent chart on the Benchmarking spreadsheet.
This spreadsheet should help you make data-driven staffing decisions and improve profitability. Stay competitive by regularly reviewing labor costs and making necessary adjustments.