Profit Percentage Formula: How to Calculate Profit

If you have a business, it's important to calculate your profit percentage to understand how much profit you're making on each sale or transaction. The profit percentage formula is a simple calculation that can help you figure out how profitable your business is.

Understanding the profit percentage formula is crucial to your success, whether you're a small business owner or a large corporation.

Understanding profit and how to calculate it is important in business. This article will provide an in-depth exploration of the concept of profit, starting with the fundamental profit formula. We will then proceed to examine the profit percentage formula, which is vital for evaluating a business's profitability.

Additionally, we will cover the gross and net profit formulas and present a practice problem to illustrate the practical application of the profit percentage formula. Join us as we dissect the essential components of profit and its associated formulas.

Table of Content

• What is Profit?
  • Profit Formula
• What is the Profit Percentage Formula
• Gross Profit Formula
• Net Profit Formula
• Practice Problem on Profit Percentage Formula

What is Profit?

Profit is the financial gain that a business makes after deducting all expenses from the revenue generated by its sales. It is the amount of money that is left over after all the costs involved in producing and selling a product or service have been paid. 

In simple terms, profit is the surplus amount a business earns when its revenue exceeds its expenses. It is a key measure of a business's performance and is critical for its survival and growth. 

Profit is essential for reinvesting in the business, rewarding shareholders, and funding future ventures.

What is the Profit Formula?

The profit formula is a basic calculation that can be used to determine the profit gained by a business after all the costs and expenses related to its operations.

The formula for calculating profit is:

Profit = Revenue - Cost

where,

Revenue: Total amount of money earned from selling goods or services.

Cost: Total amount of money spent on producing and selling them (including all the variable and fixed costs)

Let's consider an example to better understand how to find profit using the profit formula.

Let's say you own a small retail store that sells handmade jewelry. Last month, your store earned $5,000 in revenue from selling jewelry. However, you had to pay $3,000 for the raw materials used to make the jewelry, $500 for rent, $300 for utilities, and $200 for other expenses, such as packaging and shipping. 

Using the profit formula, we can calculate the profit made by your business:

Profit = Revenue - Cost

=> Profit = $5,000 - ($3,000 + $500 + $300 + $200)

=> Profit = $5,000 - $4,300

=> Profit = $700

This means that your business made a profit of $700 last month. 

Note: The profit formula can also be given by:

Profit = Selling Price - Cost Price

Example 1: You buy a skateboard for $30 and sell it for $45. Find the profit.

Here, the cost profit = $30 and selling price = $45

Now, using the profit formula, 

Profit = $45 - $30 = $15

=> Profit = $15

Example 2: A baker spends $50 on cake ingredients and sells them for $100. 

Here, the cost price = $50 and selling price = $100.

Now, using the profit formula

Profit = $100 - $50 = $50

=> Profit = $50.

What is the Profit Percentage Formula?

The profit percentage formula is a calculation that determines the percentage of profit made on each sale. It is calculated by taking the profit made on a sale and dividing it by the revenue earned, then multiplying the result by 100. The formula is:

Profit Percentage = (Profit / Revenue) x 100

=> Profit Percentage = (Revenue - Cost / Revenue) x 100

Now, let's take the same example where we have calculated the profit.

To calculate the profit percentage, we can use the following formula:

Profit Percentage = (Revenue - Cost) / Revenue x 100

=> Profit Percentage = ($5,000 - $4,300) / $5,000 x 100

=> Profit Percentage = $700 / $5,000 x 100

=> Profit Percentage = 14%

This means that for every sale you make, you're making a 14% profit. 

Let's take another example to get a clear understanding of how to use the profit percentage formula.

Let's say you own a small bakery, and you sell a cake for $50. The cost of making the cake, including the ingredients, is $20. The profit made on the sale of the cake would be:

Profit = Revenue - Cost

Profit = $50 - $20

Profit = $30

Using the profit percentage formula, we can calculate the profit percentage made on the sale of the cake:

Profit Percentage = (Profit / Revenue) x 100

Profit Percentage = ($30 / $50) x 100

Profit Percentage = 60%

This means the profit percentage made on the cake sale is 60%. For every $1 of revenue earned, $0.60 is profit.

Note: 

Profit Percentage can also be given as

Profit Percentage Formula = (Profit/Cost Price) * 100

or Profit Percentage Formula = (Selling Price - Cost Price)*100

Now, we will discuss the Gross Profit Formula and Net Profit Formula. These are kind of similar terms related to profit but they are often used in the business industry.

So, let’s explore them too.

What is the Gross Profit Percentage Formula?

The gross profit formula calculates how much profit a business makes after deducting the cost of goods sold (COGS) from the revenue earned. The formula is:

Gross Profit Formula

Gross Profit = Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold

Where,

Revenue: The total amount of money earned from selling goods or services.

Cost of Goods Sold: The total cost of producing and selling those goods or services, including all the variable and fixed costs.

To calculate the gross profit percentage, you would use the following formula:

Gross Profit Percentage Formula

Gross Profit Percentage = (Gross Profit / Revenue) x 100

Example

For example, let's say you own a clothing store, and you sell a shirt for $50. The cost of producing and selling the shirt, including the materials, labour, and other associated costs, is $30. 

The gross profit made on the sale of the shirt would be:

Gross Profit = Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold

=> Gross Profit = $50 - $30

=> Gross Profit = $20

Using the gross profit percentage formula, we can calculate the gross profit percentage made on the sale of the shirt:

Gross Profit Percentage = (Gross Profit / Revenue) x 100

Gross Profit Percentage = ($20 / $50) x 100

Gross Profit Percentage = 40%

This means the gross profit percentage on the shirt sale is 40%. For every $1 of revenue earned, $0.40 is gross profit.

What is the Net Profit Percentage Formula?

The net profit margin formula calculates how much profit a business makes after deducting all the expenses and costs associated with its operations. 

The formula is:

Net Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) x 100

Where, 

Net Profit: The profit made by the business after deducting all the expenses and costs associated with its operations, 

• i.e., Net profit can be calculated using the following:

Net Profit = Revenue - Total Expenses

• Total Expenses are the sum of all the expenses incurred by the business, including all the variable and fixed costs associated with its operations.

Revenue: The total amount of money earned from selling goods or services.

Let’s take an example to know how to calculate the net profit.

Let's say you own a small software company that sells a product for $100. The cost of producing and selling the product, including materials, labour, rent, utilities, and other expenses, is $50. 

The net profit made on the sale of the product would be:

Net Profit = Revenue - Total Expenses

Net Profit = $100 - $50

Net Profit = $50

Using the net profit margin formula, we can calculate the net profit margin made on the sale of the product:

Net Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) x 100

Net Profit Margin = ($50 / $100) x 100

Net Profit Margin = 50%

This means that the net profit margin made on the product's sale is 50%. For every $1 of revenue earned, $0.50 is net profit.

Let’s recap all the formulas.

Formula	Description	Example
Profit = Selling Price (SP) - Cost Price (CP)	Calculates the profit earned from a transaction.	If you buy a book for $15 and sell it for $20, Profit = $20 - $15 = $5
Profit Percentage = (Profit / CP) x 100	Calculates the percentage of profit relative to the cost price.	Using the book example, Profit Percentage = ($5 / $15) x 100 = 33.33%
Selling Price = CP + Profit	Determines the selling price by adding the profit to the cost price.	If the cost price is $15 and you want to make a $5 profit, SP = $15 + $5 = $20
Cost Price = SP - Profit	Determines the cost price by subtracting the profit from the selling price.	If you sell a book for $20 and earn a $5 profit, CP = $20 - $5 = $15
Gross Profit = Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)	Calculates the gross profit from sales before deducting any operating expenses.	For revenue of $1000 and COGS of $600, Gross Profit = $1000 - $600 = $400
Net Profit = Gross Profit - Operating Expenses	Calculates the net profit after subtracting all operating expenses from the gross profit.	If gross profit is $400 and operating expenses are $100, Net Profit = $400 - $100 = $300
Gross Profit Margin = (Gross Profit / Revenue) x 100	Calculates the percentage of revenue that exceeds the cost of goods sold.	With a gross profit of $400 and revenue of $1000, Gross Profit Margin = ($400 / $1000) x 100 = 40%
Net Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) x 100	Calculates the percentage of revenue that remains as profit after all expenses.	If net profit is $300 and revenue is $1000, Net Profit Margin = ($300 / $1000) x 100 = 30%
Markup Percentage = (Profit / CP) x 100	Calculates the percentage increase from the cost price to the selling price.	For a $5 profit on a $15 cost price, Markup Percentage = ($5 / $15) x 100 = 33.33%
Break-Even Point (Units) = Fixed Costs / (SP - Variable Cost per Unit)	Calculates the number of units that must be sold to cover all costs.	For fixed costs of $1000, SP of $20, and variable cost of $15 per unit, Break-Even Point = $1000 / ($20 - $15) = 200 units

Practice Problem on Profit Percentage Formula

1. A factory makes gadgets at a cost of $25 each and sells them for $40. After improving their production process, they are able to reduce the cost by 20%. What is the new profit percentage if the selling price remains the same?
2. A bookstore buys books at $15 each and sells them at $25. They receive an offer for a 10% discount on each book for orders over 100 units. If the selling price remains unchanged, calculate the new profit percentage after the discount.
3. An online retailer sells a product for $120 with a profit margin of 25%. Due to increased demand, they decide to increase the selling price by 15%. What is the new profit percentage?
4. A tech company sells a gadget for $200, making a profit of 50%. They introduce an upgraded version that increases the production cost by 30%, but they also increase the selling price by 25%. What is the profit percentage of the upgraded gadget?
5. During a seasonal sale, a clothing retailer reduces the selling price of all items by 20%. If the original profit margin was 40%, what is the new profit percentage during the sale?
6. A company imports goods at a cost of $30,000 and sells them for $45,000. Due to a change in government policy, an import tariff adds an additional 5% cost to the goods. What is the new profit percentage if the selling price remains the same?
7. A business exports products to a country where the exchange rate fluctuates, leading to a 10% decrease in revenue when converted back to the local currency. If the original profit percentage was 20%, what is it after the exchange rate fluctuation?
8. A restaurant has a gross margin of 30%. After implementing an operational efficiency program, they reduce costs by 15% without changing the menu prices. What is the new profit percentage?
9. A software company offers a volume discount that reduces the cost of goods sold by 10% when customers purchase licenses in bulk. If the original profit percentage was 25%, what is it after applying the volume discount?
10. Due to inflation, a retailer increases both the cost price and selling price of its inventory by 5%. If the original profit percentage was 20%, what is the new profit percentage after the inflation adjustment?