You had a great weekend. $1,800 in sales at a popular spring market. But when you add up the booth fee, the gas, the hotel, the meals, and the 30 hours you spent packing, driving, setting up, selling, and tearing down... what did you actually earn per hour?

That number — your Real Hourly Wage — is the single most important metric in your craft business. It is the truth-teller that equalizes a 1-day street fair against a 3-day convention, and reveals whether that "great show" was actually worth your time.

What is the Real Hourly Wage for craft vendors?

The Real Hourly Wage for craft vendors is calculated using the BoothKeeper formula: (Total Revenue − COGS − Booth Fees − Travel − Supplies) ÷ (Total Prep Hours + Travel Hours + Selling Hours). This metric reveals what you actually earn per hour of work — not just per show — so you can compare any event on equal footing.

The BoothKeeper Real Hourly Wage Formula

(Revenue − ALL Expenses) ÷ Total Hours = Real Hourly Wage

Where "ALL Expenses" = COGS + Booth Fee + Mileage + Lodging + Meals + Transaction Fees + Supplies

Where "Total Hours" = Prep + Travel + Setup + Selling + Teardown

Why is hourly wage better than tracking profit?

Hourly wage is superior to flat profit because it accounts for time — the most expensive and non-renewable resource a maker has. A $500 profit at a 1-day show (10 hours) pays $50/hr. The same $500 profit at a 3-day convention (40 hours) pays $12.50/hr. Profit alone hides this 4x difference.

Worked Example: The "$1,800 Weekend"

Let's walk through a real scenario step by step.

Step 1: Revenue

Gross Sales: $1,800

Step 2: Subtract ALL Expenses

COGS (materials, 30%): -$540
Booth Fee: -$350
Mileage (180mi round trip × $0.70): -$126
Hotel (1 night): -$140
Meals (2 days): -$55
Transaction Fees (2.6% + $0.10): -$47
True Net Profit: $542

Step 3: Calculate Total Hours

Activity	Hours
Packing & Loading (Thu night)	2.0
Drive to show (Fri morning)	1.5
Setup (Fri afternoon)	2.0
Selling — Day 1 (Saturday)	9.0
Selling — Day 2 (Sunday)	7.0
Teardown & Load-out	1.5
Drive home (Sun evening)	1.5
Total	24.5 hrs

$542 ÷ 24.5 hours = $22.12 / hour

Not bad — but not great either. Is $22/hr worth your expertise as an artist? Would you show up for a part-time job at that rate? The answer depends on your Target Hourly Rate — and only you can set that number.

How do you set a Target Hourly Rate?

Set your Target Hourly Rate by deciding the minimum wage you'd accept for your professional skill — typically $25–$50/hr for experienced makers — and use it as the benchmark for whether a show is a KEEP, MAYBE, or DROP.

🟢
KEEP
Shows that exceed your Target Hourly Rate. These are anchors — book them first.
🟡
MAYBE
Shows between your Minimum and Target. Keep as fill-ins, but replace them aggressively.
🔴
DROP
Shows below your Minimum. Cut these immediately. A free weekend is worth more.

Common Mistakes When Calculating Hourly Wage

Forgetting prep time. Packing, loading, and unloading are work. Count them.
Ignoring travel hours. A 3-hour drive each way is 6 hours of unpaid labor embedded in your show cost.
Skipping COGS. Materials, packaging, and labels are real costs — even if you bought them weeks ago.
Not counting "invisible" fees. Credit card processing (2.6%), PayPal fees, and sales tax collection time all drain profit.

Calculate Your Real Hourly Wage — Free

Stop guessing. Our free Hourly Rate Calculator runs this entire formula for you in 60 seconds. Plug in your numbers from your last show and see exactly where you stand.

Already tracking shows? Try the Profit Calculator to model future events before you apply.

Calculate My Hourly Wage →

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