{
  "slug": "dj-hourly-rate-builder",
  "title": "Wedding DJ & Band Hourly Rate Builder",
  "heading": "DJ / Band Hourly Rate Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dj-hourly-rate-builder",
  "summary": "Build an hourly rate from gear, setup time, and target take-home pay.",
  "description": "DJs and bands often quote a flat night rate that doesn't reflect setup, teardown, and travel hours that never show up on the invoice. This builder takes your target hourly take-home, adds unpaid setup/teardown time, gear amortization per event, and a fee for extra hours beyond the base package, then converts everything into both a flat quote and a true effective hourly rate so you know exactly what you're clearing per hour worked.",
  "formula": "Quote = (performance hrs × hourly rate) + (setup/teardown hrs × 50% rate) + gear amortization + extra-hour fee × extra hrs.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=dj-hourly-rate-builder",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "perfHours",
      "label": "Performance hours (reception)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5,
      "unit": "hrs",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 12
    },
    {
      "id": "hourlyRate",
      "label": "Target hourly rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 20,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "setupHours",
      "label": "Setup + teardown hours",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.5,
      "unit": "hrs",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 6
    },
    {
      "id": "gearAmort",
      "label": "Gear/vehicle amortization per event",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 75,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "extraHourFee",
      "label": "Extra-hour fee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 175,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "extraHours",
      "label": "Extra hours requested",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 6
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "quote",
      "label": "Total quote",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "perfPay",
      "label": "Performance-hour pay",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "setupPay",
      "label": "Setup/teardown pay",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "totalHours",
      "label": "Total hours on site",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "effHourly",
      "label": "True effective hourly rate",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Performance hours (reception): 5 hrs",
      "Target hourly rate: 150 $",
      "Setup + teardown hours: 2.5 hrs",
      "Gear/vehicle amortization per event: 75 $",
      "Extra-hour fee: 175 $",
      "Extra hours requested: 1"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total quote: $1,188",
      "Performance-hour pay: $750",
      "Setup/teardown pay: $188",
      "Total hours on site: 8.5",
      "True effective hourly rate: $139.71"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter performance hours (reception) (hrs).",
      "Enter target hourly rate ($).",
      "Enter setup + teardown hours (hrs).",
      "Enter gear/vehicle amortization per event ($).",
      "Enter extra-hour fee ($).",
      "Enter extra hours requested.",
      "Read your total quote on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "perfHours": 3,
        "hourlyRate": 90,
        "setupHours": 1.5,
        "gearAmort": 45,
        "extraHourFee": 105,
        "extraHours": 0.6
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "perfHours": 5,
        "hourlyRate": 150,
        "setupHours": 2.5,
        "gearAmort": 75,
        "extraHourFee": 175,
        "extraHours": 1
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "perfHours": 8,
        "hourlyRate": 240,
        "setupHours": 4,
        "gearAmort": 120,
        "extraHourFee": 280,
        "extraHours": 1.6
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why only pay 50% rate for setup and teardown?",
      "a": "It's a common industry convention because setup labor is lower-skill and less client-facing than live performance, but it still costs real time and should never be free. Some DJs charge full rate for load-in at large venues with long carry distances; adjust the 50% assumption up if that's your situation."
    },
    {
      "q": "How much should gear amortization be?",
      "a": "Take your total speaker, mixer, lighting, and vehicle wear cost, divide by expected useful life in events (commonly 150-300 events for club-grade gear), and that's your per-event depreciation. $50-$100 per event is typical for a mid-tier mobile DJ rig."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why price extra hours higher than the base rate?",
      "a": "Extra hours eat into load-out time, sleep, and the next day's setup for weekend warriors booking back-to-back events. Charging a premium (typically 15-25% above your base hourly) compensates for that schedule risk and discourages last-minute extensions that blow up your night."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/vendor-overtime-fee-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/vendor-travel-fee-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wedding-vendor-profit-margin-calculator"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Wedding DJ & Band Hourly Rate Builder (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dj-hourly-rate-builder)"
}