Free tool — no sign-up required
Is your time worth more
than hiring a pro?
Enter your salary and find out — for each everyday task — whether you should DIY or hire a professional. Instant, personalized recommendations.
$
Hourly rate:
Estimated after taxes (~25%):
Advanced options (tax rate, hours/week)
💰
Enter your annual salary above
to see personalized DIY vs Hire recommendations for each task
How the Calculator Works
A simple, honest formula that puts a dollar value on your time.
1
Enter your salary
We calculate your true hourly rate — gross and after estimated taxes. This is what one hour of your life is actually worth.
2
We calculate each task
For every task: your time cost + materials vs the professional's price, normalized to a monthly figure.
3
Get clear recommendations
Each card shows a clear verdict — DIY saves money, or hiring a pro is smarter — plus the monthly dollar impact.
The formula: Monthly DIY cost = (hours/occurrence × occurrences/month × your hourly rate) + (materials × occurrences/month).
If this exceeds the professional's monthly cost, hiring is the economically rational choice.
This calculator gives economic guidance only. Personal satisfaction, health, and learning goals are all valid reasons to choose differently.
This calculator gives economic guidance only. Personal satisfaction, health, and learning goals are all valid reasons to choose differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the DIY vs Hire calculator work? ▼
Enter your annual salary to calculate your true hourly rate. The calculator then compares the cost of your time (plus materials) for each task against the cost of a professional service, and tells you which option costs less per month.
What is a "true hourly rate"? ▼
Your true hourly rate is your annual salary divided by the hours you actually work per year (default: 2,080 hours = 52 weeks × 40 hours). Enable the advanced options to adjust for your tax rate and get your after-tax hourly rate.
At what salary is it worth hiring a house cleaner? ▼
With bi-weekly professional cleaning at $120/visit ($240/month), hiring becomes mathematically worthwhile when your true hourly rate exceeds $30/hour — roughly a $62,000+ annual salary.
Does this calculator account for taxes? ▼
Yes — expand the "Advanced options" to enter your estimated tax rate. The calculator then shows both your gross and after-tax hourly rates, and uses the after-tax rate for the comparison.
Should I always follow the calculator's recommendation? ▼
The calculator gives you the economically optimal answer. But your satisfaction, enjoyment of a task, health benefits (like exercise), or learning goals are all valid reasons to override the math. Use it as a guide, not a rule.
How accurate are the task time and cost estimates? ▼
Task times and professional costs are based on US national averages. Your specific situation — home size, location, skill level — will vary. Use the individual task pages to see detailed ranges.