How much does an employee really cost a small business beyond their hourly wage? In Episode 255 of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, hosts Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters answer that question directly for shop owners and small manufacturers. The short answer: an employee's true cost runs well past base pay. Once you add payroll taxes, workers' compensation, health and dental benefits, a 401(k) match, paid time off, training time, onboarding, tools, and software, a worker's real cost can land about 25 percent above their wage, and in extreme cases up to 50 percent higher. A $25-per-hour employee who looks like a $60,000 salary can actually cost the business closer to $30 to $38 per hour. Brandon explains why time, not money, is the real trade. A business is not buying labor; it is buying time applied to an outcome. Clock-in time is nearly guaranteed, but output during that time is not, which is why two employees on the same wage can deliver very different value. His benchmark: a $30-per-hour worker producing $100 per hour of output is a strong model, while one producing $30 per hour is a wash. The episode also makes the case for automation over adding headcount. As Brandon puts it, you don't need more labor; you need to make the labor you already have more efficient. A CNC machine empowers existing workers instead of replacing them. The show opens with real viewer questions. Brandon confirms the ShopSabre laser alignment tool is the Wi-Fi version, not Bluetooth; explains that ShopSabre CNC tables do not have vacuum built into the tabletop but offer an optional vacuum table with vacuum pumps; and names the biggest mistake CNC buyers make, which is shopping on price instead of researching value. ShopSabre is an American manufacturer of CNC routers, plasma tables, and fiber lasers based in Lakeville, Minnesota. This episode is for cabinet shops, metal fabricators, and small manufacturers weighing whether to hire or automate. Discover all our CNC machines and accessories: https://www.shopsabre.com/ Follow ShopSabre for daily updates, tutorials, and expert tips: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsabre Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsabre Twitter/X: https://x.com/ShopSabreCNC TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopsabre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shopsabre-cnc/ 00:00 - Why Every Business Owner Miscalculates the Cost of Labor 04:02 - Customer Questions: Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth Laser Tool, Vacuum Tables, and the Biggest CNC Buying Mistake 09:46 - What a $25-an-Hour Employee Actually Costs: Taxes, Benefits, and the 25 to 50 Percent Markup 12:54 - Why You Hire Time, Not Tasks: Clock-In Is Guaranteed, Output Is Not 20:28 - How Labor Cost Drives Your Pricing and Margins, and Why a $50 Minimum Wage Backfires 25:33 - The Real Goal Is Maximum Output Per Labor Dollar, Not Fewer People 29:31 - Why Small Inefficiencies Scale, and What Happens When You Value Your Time at $0 37:24 - Roosevelt on Work Worth Doing, Plus Why American-Made CNC Makes Sense #CNC #SmallBusiness #ShopSabre #CNCRouter #CNCPlasma #FiberLaser #Manufacturing #CabinetMaking #MetalFabrication #Automation #BusinessGrowth #MadeInUSA #TalkinShop #CostOfHiring Since 2000, ShopSabre CNC has delivered high-quality CNC routers, plasma cutters, and laser engraving machines built in the USA to businesses and hobbyists worldwide. Subscribe for more insights on CNC technology, project builds, and industry-leading machine performance.
