Punch in a job's parts, labor, and drive time to see what you'll actually keep — and your real hourly rate once driving is counted. The number that tells you whether a quote is worth it.
Your job profit is what you charge minus your hard costs (parts and fuel). Divide it by the total time the job eats — labor plus round-trip driving — and you get your effective hourly rate. That's the number that reveals whether a job is actually worth taking, because a quick job an hour away can pay worse than a big job next door.
Not sure your labor rate is right in the first place? Start with the Hourly Rate Calculator, then join Mechanics Alliance for the full pricing playbook and (soon) real rate benchmarks from mechanics like you.
Join free More toolsBecause your labor rate only counts wrench time, but the job also cost you drive time and fuel. The effective rate spreads your profit across the whole job — the honest number. If it's well below your labor rate, the drive or the fuel is eating you alive, and you should charge a callout fee.
This tool treats your labor charge as money you keep, so "job profit" is everything left after parts and fuel — your pay plus margin. To separate your pay from true profit, set a target rate in the Hourly Rate Calculator and compare it to the effective rate here.