Business Revenue Calculator
How much will your business make? Enter your industry, state, and size to get a revenue estimate based on real Census Bureau data.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) 2021, which covers over 6 million employer firms across 608 industries. Revenue estimates are derived from actual payroll data using industry-specific payroll-to-revenue ratios from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When you select a state, the calculator adjusts the national average based on real state-level data — accounting for differences in cost of living, market size, and local economic conditions. Selecting a business size (by employee count) further refines the estimate using Census size class breakdowns.
Profit margins come from IRS Statistics of Income data on business returns. Startup costs and survival rates are based on industry research and SBA data. Break-even is calculated as average startup cost divided by monthly profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are these estimates?
These are averages across all businesses in a given industry, state, and size category. Individual results vary widely based on location, management, competition, and market conditions. Use this as a benchmark range, not a prediction.
Why does my state have higher/lower revenue?
State differences reflect cost of living, population density, market maturity, and local economic conditions. Higher-cost states (CA, NY, MA) typically show higher revenue because prices and wages are higher — but so are expenses.
What does "break-even" mean here?
Break-even is the number of months it takes for your cumulative profit to equal your startup investment. It assumes average profit margins from day one, which is optimistic — most businesses take longer in practice.