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agency benchmark calculator

How does your agency compare?

Enter your numbers and see where you land against real agency benchmarks - gross margin, net margin, utilization and revenue per person. Each one is scored against sourced industry data, so you know your strengths and the single place to focus.

your type:
your agency vs the benchmarks
You're at or above benchmark on 2 of 4 metrics.
Gross (delivery) margintarget 50%+ | UK median 39%
42%below target
Net (after-tax) marginindustry avg 13% | healthy 15-20%
12%near average
Billable utilizationhealthy 65-80% | >85% burnout
70%healthy
Revenue per personhealthy 150-200K | weak <120K
$150,000healthy
what to do
  • Your weakest metric is gross (delivery) margin (42%, below target) - start there.
  • Lifting gross margin toward 50% is the biggest profit lever - it drops almost straight to net.
2/4 benchmarks hit - Forge tracks all of them live, per client.
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where the benchmarks come from

Real data, not vibes

Every benchmark here is drawn from public agency-finance research - Promethean Research, The Wow Company's BenchPress, Parakeeto and others - the same sources behind our full agency benchmarks report. Gross margin is the lever you control on every engagement; net margin is what you keep; utilization shows whether the team is over- or under-loaded; and revenue per person is the quiet profitability signal most owners never track.

how to use it

Four numbers, instant scorecard

  1. Enter your gross (delivery) margin and net (after-tax) margin.
  2. Add your billable utilization and annual revenue.
  3. Enter your full-time headcount - it works out revenue per person for you.
  4. Read your scorecard: where you beat the benchmark, where you trail, and what to fix first.
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keep reading

Related for agencies

Agency benchmarks report

The full sourced dataset behind this scorecard - margin, utilization and rates by agency type and size.

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Agency pricing & margin calculator

Below target on margin? Work out the fee or hours that get you to a healthy number.

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Effective hourly rate calculator

Turn any fixed fee into the real hourly rate you're earning.

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Track it live in Forge

Stop checking once a year - track every one of these metrics live, per client.

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questions

Frequently asked questions

How does my agency compare to industry benchmarks?

Enter your margin, utilization and revenue per person and this tool scores each against sourced industry data - showing whether you're above, at, or below the benchmark on every metric.

What is a good profit margin for an agency?

Gross (delivery) margin should target 50%+; the UK £1M+ median recently slipped to 39%. Net (after-tax) margin averages about 13% across agencies, with healthy shops at 15-20% and top performers at 25%+.

What is a healthy billable utilization rate?

Roughly 65-80% for delivery roles. Below that you're carrying slack; push past ~85% and burnout and overtime start eating the margin back.

What is a good revenue per employee for an agency?

Healthy marketing agencies sit around 150-200K per full-time person; specialists reach 250K+. Below about 120K usually points to under-pricing or over-hiring.

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