Total earnings on a commission plan: base plus percentage of sales.

A sales rep on a 30,000 base with 5% commission on 400,000 of sales earns 20,000 in commission on top — total 50,000. Commission makes up 40% of total pay, so sales performance swings the outcome materially: a weaker year at 250,000 sales drops total to 42,500.

What the result means

Primary is total earnings. Secondary rows show commission amount, commission share of total pay, and a sensitivity — how the total changes if sales fall 20% below expected.

Commission plans to watch out for

Tiered rates (higher percentages above a threshold), quotas (no commission below a minimum), and draws (advance against future commission that must be paid back if sales miss). This tool uses the simplest flat-rate model. For complex plans, run it separately for each tier.

A worked example

Try the defaults: base salary of 30,000, total sales of 400,000, commission rate of 5%. The tool returns 50,000.00. You can adjust any input and the result updates as you type — no submit button, no reload. That's the real power here: seeing how sensitive the output is to one or two assumptions.

What moves the number most

The result responds to Base Salary, Total Sales, and Commission Rate. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

The formula behind this

Total earnings equal base salary plus sales times commission rate. The tool also reports commission as a percentage of total earnings and a downside sensitivity at 80% of expected sales. Flat-rate model only — tiered schemes, quota bonuses, and clawbacks must be computed separately. Everything the calculator does is shown in the formula box below, so you can check the math against your own spreadsheet if you want.

What the headline number hides

Gross pay, net pay, and what actually lands in your account can differ by thousands depending on tax code, benefits, pension contributions, and student loan deductions. This tool isolates one piece of that picture — always pair it with a take-home calculator for the full view.

What this doesn't capture

Tax bands, pension contributions, student-loan deductions, and benefits-in-kind sit outside this calculation. The figure is the headline; your actual position depends on local tax rules and personal circumstances. Pair with a dedicated take-home calculator for the full picture.