With 0.6% FUTA and 2% SUTA, the recurring cost is $57,060.00. Recruiting $2,500, equipment $1,200, and training $800 add $4,500.00. The first-year total is $61,560.00.
Tool · first year
New-Hire First-Year Cost Calculator
A new seat costs more in year one than the recurring payroll line. This page keeps those pieces apart: the loaded cost of the wages, then recruiting, equipment, training, and relocation. Empty setup fields are treated as $0.00.
Tax-year assumptions: 2026. Recurring employer FICA from IRS Publication 15. One-off fields are only what you type.
When this estimate fits
The page fits a hiring conversation where someone asks, “What does this person cost in year one?” and you want wages, employer FICA, and the setup checks on one sheet. It fits when recruiting, a laptop, and a short training invoice are known well enough to type.
The page does not fit a full onboarding program, equity, or a claim that every sign-on bonus has been modeled unless you put that amount in a field. Relocation left blank is zero, not a hidden policy.
A longer walk-through is in First-year cost of a hire.
Clear recruiting, equipment, training, and relocation. The first-year total equals the recurring employer cost of the salary.
A $200,000 salary still caps employer Social Security at $11,439.00 in 2026. One-off setup is added after that recurring line.
On this tool
Is recruiting part of burden?
Not in the recurring burden. Recruiting stays on the one-off line. Year two should not still carry a posting fee.
Can I put a sign-on bonus in salary?
If the bonus is paid as wages in year one, add it to the salary field or treat it as training or another one-off line. If it is wages, it belongs in the FICA base in this model.
More questions?
See the home FAQ.