> See labor cost as a percentage of revenue, live, before service starts - not weeks later. Schedule smarter with real numbers, not guesswork.
>
> Source: https://shiftpriority.com/restaurant-labor-cost-control/ · Language: en

# Know your restaurant's labor cost before the month ends

Labor cost is the number that decides your month. ShiftPriority shows it to you live - scheduled hours against real revenue - so you can act before service, not after the numbers land.

[Get started free](https://app.shiftpriority.com/signup) [See how ShiftPriority works](https://shiftpriority.com/)

Free during our open beta · Set up in minutes · No credit card

## Labor cost is usually a guess until it's too late

Most small restaurants only find out their real labor cost when payroll lands next month - long after the schedule that caused it.

### The numbers arrive too late to act on

By the time payroll is run, the week that overspent is already over.

### Scheduling happens blind

Without live cost feedback, it's easy to overstaff a quiet shift or understaff a busy one.

### Revenue and wages live in different tools

Sales sit in the POS, hours sit in the schedule - nobody's comparing them in real time.

### Owners and managers see different things

Sensitive cost and revenue numbers shouldn't be visible to everyone with schedule access.

## Labor cost as a percentage of revenue, live

ShiftPriority calculates labor cost the way owners actually track it: scheduled hours × hourly rate, against real revenue - updated continuously, not once a month.

### One number, always current

Labor cost % = (scheduled hours × hourly rate) ÷ revenue, recalculated as the schedule and sales change.

### Revenue and wage trends side by side

See daily, weekly, and monthly revenue next to labor cost on one dashboard.

### Owner-only financial view

Full revenue and labor-cost figures are visible to the owner role; managers see the operational schedule without exposing sensitive numbers.

### Export for your accountant

Pull a CSV of tips, payouts, and revenue per period when it's time to reconcile the books.

[Free for everyone during the open beta - see full pricing →](https://shiftpriority.com/#pricing)

## Questions, answered

How is labor cost calculated?

Does this replace payroll or tax software?

Can my managers see this too?

Do I need a POS connected to track labor cost?

Related reading:[Restaurant scheduling software](https://shiftpriority.com/restaurant-scheduling-software/) [Square POS + scheduling](https://shiftpriority.com/square-pos-restaurant-scheduling/) [Tip distribution software](https://shiftpriority.com/tip-distribution-software/)

## Give your team back their Sundays

Stop wrestling spreadsheets. Build your first schedule this afternoon - and see your labor cost the moment you publish.

[Get started free →](https://app.shiftpriority.com/signup)

Free during our open beta · Set up in minutes · No credit card