Craft Pricing Calculator for Side Hustle Sellers: Price for Profit in Limited Hours
A craft pricing method for side hustle sellers: cost each product, pay yourself per hour, add profit, then work out how many sales a week hit your income goal.
In this guide
When crafting is a side hustle, your time is the scarcest thing you have. You might get 8 to 12 hours a week after a day job and family. That makes pricing even more important: every underpriced item uses hours you can't get back. This guide shows a simple way to price crafts for profit, check your real pay per hour, and work out how many sales you need each week.
- Price = materials + packaging + your time + overhead, then profit and selling fees.
- In the examples below, a tote bag earns you $11.49 for your time and profit, a candle $10.51 and a sticker pack $5.98.
- With limited hours, focus on items that pay the most per hour, not the ones that sell for the most.
- Set a weekly goal, then divide by what each item earns you to see how many sales you need.
Why side hustle pricing needs a different focus
Full-time makers can sometimes make up for low prices with volume. Side hustle sellers can't, because there are only so many evening and weekend hours. If an item pays $6 an hour, ten hours a week earns $60.
The fix is to know your pay per hour for every product. Keep making the ones that pay well, raise the price on the ones that don't, and drop the ones that can't be fixed.
The steps
1. Cost your materials and packaging
Count only what you used. Divide pack prices by the number of uses. Include packaging and labels.
2. Pick an hourly rate
Choose what an hour of your free time is worth. Many side hustle makers use $15 to $25. Use the same rate for every product.
3. Time a real batch
Make 5 or 10 items in one session and divide the time. Batching is how side hustlers get faster.
4. Add overhead, profit and fees
Add 10% for tools, software and supplies you use across products. Add 25% to 35% profit. Divide by 0.90 if you sell on Etsy or online.
5. Check pay per hour
Add your labor and profit, then divide by the hours. That is what each item really pays you. Compare products by this number.
6. Set a weekly sales goal
Divide the money you want each week by what one item earns you. That tells you how many sales you need and whether your hours can make them.
Worked example: three side hustle products
All three use $20 an hour, 10% overhead, 30% profit and 10% fees. Times are batch averages.
| HTV tote bag | 8 oz soy candle | Sticker pack (5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5.75 | $4.10 | $1.60 |
| Packaging | $0.85 | $1.15 | $0.40 |
| Labor at $20.00/hr | 0.35 hr = $7.00 | 0.33 hr = $6.60 | 0.2 hr = $4.00 |
| Overhead (10%) | $1.36 | $1.19 | $0.60 |
| Cost to make | $14.96 | $13.04 | $6.60 |
| Plus 30% profit | $19.45 | $16.95 | $8.58 |
| Cover 10% selling fees (divide by 0.90) | $21.61 | $18.83 | $9.53 |
| Suggested price | $22 | $19 | $10 |
Once profit is included, each product pays about $32.82, $31.85 and $29.90 per hour. They are close because all three are priced from the same hourly rate. That is the point: when every product is priced from your rate, no product quietly pays you less. The real difference is how many sales each one needs, shown below.
How many sales you need each week
| Weekly goal | Tote bags | Candles | Sticker packs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 9 sales, 3.1 hr | 10 sales, 3.3 hr | 17 sales, 3.4 hr |
| $250 | 22 sales, 7.7 hr | 24 sales, 7.9 hr | 42 sales, 8.4 hr |
| $500 | 44 sales, 15.4 hr | 48 sales, 15.8 hr | 84 sales, 16.8 hr |
Each cell shows how many sales you need if you sold only that product, and the hours it takes to make them. Earnings per sale are your labor plus profit. If the hours are more than you have, raise the price, choose faster products, or mix them.
What you keep on each sales channel
The same HTV tote bag at $22.00 leaves different money in your pocket depending on where it sells. This uses the $14.96 cost to make from the example above, with Etsy's current transaction, processing and listing fees and Square's in-person card rate. Shipping, sales tax and ads are left out.
| Where it sells | Buyer pays | Fees | You keep | Profit over cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy (6.5% + 3% + $0.25 + $0.20 listing) | $22.00 | $2.54 | $19.46 | $4.50 |
| Your own website (about 2.9% + $0.30) | $22.00 | $0.94 | $21.06 | $6.10 |
| Craft fair, card reader (2.6% + $0.15) | $22.00 | $0.72 | $21.28 | $6.32 |
| Craft fair, cash | $22.00 | $0.00 | $22.00 | $7.04 |
| Wholesale to a shop (50% of retail) | $11.00 | $0.00 | $11.00 | -$3.96 |
On Etsy, fees take about 12% of a $22.00 sale. If a sale comes through Etsy Offsite Ads, add another 15% (12% for shops over $10,000 a year), so build that into your price if you're enrolled. Wholesale at half of retail loses $3.96 per piece here. Either raise retail, lower your cost, or set a separate wholesale price with a case minimum.
Side hustle pricing checklist
- Materials and packaging costed per item.
- One hourly rate used for every product.
- Batch times, not single-item times.
- Overhead, profit and fees included.
- Pay per hour checked for every product.
- A weekly goal divided into sales needed.
- Low-paying products repriced or dropped.
Price any craft in 5 minutes
Type your materials, packaging and time into the peach cells. The calculator shows your cost, hourly pay and a suggested retail price.
Get the Handmade Pricing CalculatorCalculators that help
- Your hourly rate: Work backward from the income you want. Use the Hourly Rate & Pay Yourself Calculator – Hourly Rate, Per-Minute Rate & Income Goal for Makers.
- Weekly goals: See how many sales cover your costs and goal. Use the Break-Even & Monthly Production Goal Calculator – Items to Sell, Hours & Price Needed.
- Rank your products: Find which products pay best. Use the Product Line Profit Ranking Calculator – Rank 8 Products by Profit, Margin, Profit per Hour & Share of Profit.
- Etsy fees: See exactly what Etsy takes from each sale. Use the Etsy Fee and Profit Calculator.
Common questions
Is there a craft pricing calculator app?
You can use a spreadsheet calculator in Google Sheets or Excel on your phone or computer. It does the same job as an app: type in costs and time, and it shows your price and profit.
How should I price crafts for a side hustle?
Cost materials and packaging, pay yourself per hour, add overhead and profit, then cover fees. Check what each item pays per hour and focus on the best ones.
What hourly rate should a side hustle crafter use?
Many use $15 to $25 an hour. Pick a rate that makes giving up your free time worth it.
How many sales do I need to make $500 a month?
Divide $500 by what each sale earns you after materials, overhead and fees. If each item earns $8, you need about 63 sales a month, or about 15 a week.
Should side hustle sellers charge less than full-time makers?
No. Your costs and time are the same. Charging less only makes your limited hours earn less.
What crafts make the most money per hour?
Products that are fast to make in batches, like stickers, decals and simple candles, often pay best per hour. Check with your own numbers.
Get every calculator in one download
The Lifetime Spreadsheet Vault includes this calculator and 320+ more for candles, tumblers, vinyl, resin, baking, crochet, laser and more. Pay once, and every future spreadsheet is included.
See the Lifetime VaultRelated guides
Lifetime Spreadsheet Vault
Stop guessing your prices. For every craft you sell.
- 323+ editable pricing spreadsheets in 29 craft categories
- Type your numbers in the peach cells. The math is done.
- Works in Google Sheets, Excel and Numbers
- Pay once. Every future spreadsheet is included.
