📈 Business & Marketing

Markup Calculator

Calculate markup percentage and selling price from cost. Free markup calculator for retailers, wholesalers, and ecommerce.

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What This Calculator Tells You

Markup is how much you add on top of cost to set a selling price, expressed as a percentage of cost. A product that costs $20 sold at $30 has a 50% markup.

Enter your cost and target markup. The calculator gives the selling price, profit per unit and the equivalent profit margin — because markup and margin are not the same number.

What to Enter

Cost ($) — your full cost per unit: purchase price or production cost plus shipping in, packaging and payment fees if you want an accurate price.
Markup (%) — the percentage of cost you want to add.

Worked Examples

1. A retail product

Cost $20, markup 50%.

Selling price $30, profit $10, margin 33.33%.

2. Keystone pricing

Retailers often double the wholesale price. Cost $45, markup 100%.

Price $90, profit $45, margin 50%.

3. A contractor job

Materials and labor cost $1,200, markup 25%.

Price $1,500, profit $300, margin 20%.

How It’s Calculated

Markup (%) = ((Selling Price − Cost) ÷ Cost) × 100. Selling Price = Cost × (1 + Markup ÷ 100).

How to Read Your Result

Markup is always higher than margin for the same price: 50% markup = 33.3% margin; 100% markup = 50% margin.
To hit a target margin, markup = margin ÷ (1 − margin). A 40% margin needs a 66.7% markup.
Check against market prices. Cost-plus pricing ignores what customers will pay.
Next step: work the other way, from price to margin, with the profit margin calculator.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing markup with margin and pricing too low.
Using purchase price only and forgetting shipping, fees and returns.
Applying one markup to everything regardless of demand or competition.
Ignoring discounts. A 20% sale on a 50% markup leaves only a 20% markup.

Built and maintained by GenAlpha Tools Editorial. Formula tested against known answers and edge cases · last reviewed October 2026. How we calculate · Report an error

When to Use This Calculator

Set selling prices for retail, wholesale or e-commerce products.
Quote jobs for contracting, catering or services.
Translate a target margin into the markup you need.
Check whether a discount still leaves a profit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate markup?

Markup % = (price − cost) ÷ cost × 100. Selling price = cost × (1 + markup %).

What is the difference between markup and margin?

Markup is profit as a percentage of cost; margin is profit as a percentage of selling price. Same profit, different base.

What is a typical retail markup?

It varies by category — many retailers use 50–100% on goods, while grocery and electronics often run much lower.

How do I convert markup to margin?

Margin = markup ÷ (1 + markup). 50% markup → 0.5 ÷ 1.5 = 33.3% margin.

Do you store the values I enter?

No. All calculations happen in your browser. Your data never leaves your device.

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