Roster Cost Forecast Calculator (Australia)
Forecast the total cost of your staff roster before publishing shifts. This calculator estimates labour costs based on staff numbers, hours, employment mix, and pay rates.
Takes ~30 seconds · No login required · AU estimates only
Enter roster details
Forecast results
Enter details and click calculate to see your forecast
Total roster cost (forecast)
$0.00
Average cost per week
$0.00
Average cost per employee
$0.00
Gross wages
$0.00
Superannuation
$0.00
Casual loading
$0.00
Penalty/overtime
$0.00
Public holiday impact
$0.00
Estimated cost per shift
$0.00
Planning tips
Small changes scale fast
A $2/hour rate increase across 10 staff for a month adds ~$800
Penalties compound
Weekend and overtime rates can add 15-50% to base costs
Forecast before publishing
Avoid labour blowouts by forecasting costs before finalising your roster
This calculator provides general estimates only. Actual labour costs vary by award, penalties, and individual rostering patterns.
Why forecasting roster costs matters
Labour is typically the largest expense for Australian businesses, often accounting for 20-40% of total costs. Small changes to rosters—an extra hour here, a shift swap there—can quickly compound into significant budget overruns.
By forecasting your roster costs before publishing shifts, you can make informed decisions about staffing levels, identify where penalties might be adding unnecessary cost, and adjust rosters to stay within budget.
This planning-stage visibility helps prevent the common problem of discovering labour blowouts only after payroll is processed—when it's too late to do anything about it.
What's included in this forecast
Base wages
Calculated from your average hourly rate multiplied by total worked hours across all employees for the forecast period.
Casual loading
Applied to the casual portion of your workforce at the rate you specify (default 25%). This loading compensates casual employees for not receiving paid leave.
Penalties (estimated)
An optional percentage uplift to account for weekend work, public holidays, overtime, and evening penalties. This provides a rough allowance rather than calculating exact award penalties.
Superannuation
Added on top of gross wages at the rate you specify (default 12%). Most employers must pay super on wages of $450+ per month.
What's not included
- Allowances (travel, uniform, meal allowances)
- Individual award exceptions and classifications
- Exact penalty calculations by time of day
- Leave loading and annual leave accruals
- Workers' compensation insurance
- Payroll tax (varies by state and wages threshold)
For exact award calculations, always verify with the official Fair Work Pay Calculator.
Want to compare forecast vs actual costs?
Upgrade to RosterElf for real-time roster costing, time tracking, and automated forecast vs actual comparisons.
Free Calculator
Perfect for quick labour cost estimates
- Forecast total roster costs
- Employment mix calculations
- Casual loading & super included
- No signup required
- Forecast vs actual comparison
- Real-time cost tracking
- Payroll export (Xero & MYOB)
- Automatic award interpretation
Full Suite
Rostering, payroll & HR in one
per employee per month
+ GST, billed annually
Payroll & HR tools in one system
- Smart rostering & availability
- Time & attendance (GPS & photo)
- Award interpretation & penalties
- Payroll export (Xero & MYOB)
- HR Hub with employee profiles
- Digital onboarding & contracts
- Policies, certificates & compliance tracking
- Payroll sync with employee records
- Workwise AI compliance assistant
- Central document storage & management
- Leave management with approvals
No credit card required · 15-day free trial
Frequently asked questions
- No. It provides an estimate based on averages and assumptions you enter. Actual costs will vary based on individual pay rates, actual hours worked, specific penalty rates, and award conditions.
- Yes, superannuation is included using the rate you enter (default 12%). The calculator adds super on top of gross wages to show your total forecast cost.
- Yes. Choose weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or enter a custom number of weeks. The calculator will scale your forecast accordingly.
- Yes, via an optional uplift percentage in the advanced settings. This provides a rough allowance for weekends, overtime, and penalty rates rather than calculating exact penalties.
- No. It's a planning tool, not a compliance calculator. For exact award calculations, use the official Fair Work Pay Calculator.
- The calculator applies casual loading (default 25%) to the portion of your workforce that is casual. You set the employment mix using the casual vs permanent percentage split.
Related resources
Explore guides, insights, and templates to help you get more from this tool.
Explore more free tools
Discover other calculators and tools to help manage your workforce costs.
Casual vs part-time calculator
Compare the estimated cost of casual vs part-time employment including loadings.
Payroll cost calculator
Estimate employee costs including super, leave, and casual loading.
Overtime & penalty rate calculator
Estimate shift costs including weekend, public holiday, and overtime rates.
Labour cost percentage calculator
Calculate what percentage of your revenue is spent on labour costs.
Shift cost calculator
Estimate the cost of a single staff shift including penalties and super.
AI employment contract generator
Generate draft employment contracts for casual, part-time, or full-time employees using AI.
AI roster generator
Generate draft staff rosters using AI based on your team size and shift requirements.
Modern award pay rate estimates
Get indicative pay rate estimates for common Australian awards. Verify with Fair Work.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides general estimates only. Actual labour costs vary by award, penalties, and individual rostering patterns. It does not constitute legal or payroll advice. Always verify calculations with official sources such as the Fair Work Pay Calculator and consult with qualified professionals.
Roster cost forecast calculator – disclaimer & terms of use
Please read and accept the following terms before using this calculator.
1. Estimates Only
This calculator provides general estimates for planning and educational purposes only. Results are not intended to be accurate, complete, or suitable for any specific purpose.
2. Not Legal or Financial Advice
This tool does not provide legal, financial, payroll, or employment advice. The forecasts do not account for specific Modern Award provisions, enterprise agreements, or employment conditions.
3. User Responsibility
You are solely responsible for:
- verifying all calculations with official sources,
- consulting qualified professionals for financial planning,
- supporting compliance with applicable awards and legislation.
4. Forecasts Are Projections
Labour cost forecasts are projections based on the inputs you provide. Actual costs may differ due to overtime, absences, award changes, and other variables not captured by this tool.
5. No Guarantee of Accuracy
While we aim to provide helpful estimates, we make no warranties about the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the results.
6. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, RosterElf and its providers disclaim all liability for any loss, damage, or claims arising from the use of this calculator or reliance on its results.
Confirmation
I understand that this calculator provides estimates only and is not a substitute for professional advice. I will verify all calculations before making business decisions.
Please scroll to read all terms before accepting