Headcount planning calculator

Inputs and method

• Add up to four roles with annual salary, benefits/load percentage, and start month.
• Loaded annual role cost = salary × (1 + load). Annualized payroll is the sum of loaded roles.
• Runway subtracts active monthly payroll and non-payroll burn month by month for the first 24 months; surviving 24 months is shown as 24+.

Worked example

A $90,000 role with a 20% load adds $108,000 of annualized payroll, or $9,000 per month once active. Starting the role later changes the runway step-up.

Planning estimate caveat

This estimate excludes recruiting, severance, raises, jurisdiction-specific payroll costs, revenue contribution, and partial-month timing. Use a finance-approved burden rate for a formal budget.