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Profit Margin Calculator

Turn your cost and selling price into a profit margin percentage and a markup percentage. Understand both: margin is profit as a share of the selling price, markup is profit as a share of the cost.

What this means

Margin and markup both measure profit but against different bases. If you buy for $80 and sell for $100: margin is 20% (profit over price), markup is 25% (profit over cost).

How we calculate it

Formula

Margin % = (Revenue − Cost) ÷ Revenue × 100. Markup % = (Revenue − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100.

Worked example

Cost $80, sell for $100:

  1. 1Profit = 100 − 80 = 20
  2. 2Margin = 20 ÷ 100 × 100 = 20%
  3. 3Markup = 20 ÷ 80 × 100 = 25%

Important assumptions

  • Margin cannot exceed 100% unless you add other revenue streams.

Frequently asked questions

Margin vs markup — which to use?

Use markup when setting prices from cost, and margin when analyzing financial statements. A 50% markup equals a 33% margin.

What is a good profit margin?

Averages vary widely — retail often runs 5–20%, software 60–90%. Compare with your industry.

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