Candle Pricing Calculator

    Candles look simple but costs hide everywhere. Enter size, wax type and cost per pound, fragrance oil cost per ounce and load per candle, vessel by type, wick, label, dust cover, packaging and shipping, labor minutes and rate, platform fees, and target margin. Get wax cost, fragrance cost, materials total, total landed, recommended retail at target margin, profit per candle, and wholesale for stores.

    Instant calculations · Editable fee assumptions · Export-ready results

    Inputs

    Values update results instantly. Adjust fee assumptions to match your seller dashboard.

    Product

    Candle size in ounces

    Materials

    Wax type affects typical cost.

    USD

    Cost per pound of wax.

    USD

    Fragrance cost per ounce.

    USD

    Typical 8% load for 8oz = 0.64oz

    USD

    Jar, tin, or vessel cost

    Vessel type for context.

    USD

    Wick cost per candle.

    Branding

    USD

    Label per candle.

    USD

    Dust cover per candle.

    Shipping

    USD

    Box, crinkle, wrap per candle.

    USD

    Average shipping to customer

    Labor

    Minutes to make one candle.

    USD

    Your hourly making rate.

    Sales channel

    %

    Etsy Etsy 6.5% + payment or Shopify fees.

    USD

    Per transaction fixed fee.

    Target

    %

    Desired profit margin after costs.

    Results

    Live estimates based on your inputs and editable fee assumptions.

    49.6% · Excellent

    Wax cost

    $1.75

    Wax cost per candle from size.

    Fragrance cost

    $1.76

    Fragrance oil cost per candle.

    Vessel cost

    $2.25

    Jar or tin.

    Total materials cost

    $6.48

    Wax + fragrance + vessel + wick + labels.

    Labor cost

    $4.00

    Minutes times hourly rate.

    Packaging & shipping

    $6.74

    Packaging + shipping to customer.

    Total cost per candle

    $17.22

    Materials + labor + pack + ship.

    Recommended retail price

    $43.35

    Price at target margin.

    Profit per candle

    $21.49

    At recommended retail.

    Achieved profit margin

    Excellent

    49.6%

    Profit divided by retail.

    Wholesale price (25% margin)

    $26.79

    For retail stores.

    What this means

    Wax $1.75 + fragrance $1.76 + vessel $2.25 = materials $6.48. Labor $4.00, pack+ship $6.74 = landed $17.22. At 50% + 10% fees retail $43.35, profit $21.49, wholesale $26.79.

    Candle cost breakdown

    Interactive breakdown of fees, costs, and remaining profit.

    Distribution

    • Wax
      $1.75
      4.5%
    • Fragrance
      $1.76
      4.5%
    • Vessel + wick
      $2.37
      6.1%
    • Branding
      $0.60
      1.5%
    • Labor
      $4.00
      10.3%
    • Pack & ship
      $6.74
      17.4%
    • Profit
      $21.49
      55.5%

    Total $38.71 · 7 segments · interactive

    Line-item breakdown

    Dollar amounts, share of revenue, and visual proportion.

    Wax cost
    $1.75
    Fragrance cost
    $1.76
    Vessel cost
    $2.25
    Wick cost
    $0.12
    Label + dust cover
    $0.60
    Total materials
    $6.48
    Labor cost
    $4.00
    Packaging & shipping
    $6.74
    Total cost
    $17.22
    Retail fee
    $4.64
    Recommended retail
    $43.35
    Profit per candle
    $21.49
    Profit margin
    49.6%
    Wholesale 25%
    $26.79

    Assumptions used

    • • Wax $1.75 = 8oz/16×$3.50/lb
    • • Fragrance $1.76 = 0.64oz×$2.75/oz
    • • Landed $17.22 = materials $6.48+labor $4.00+pack/ship $6.74

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    How it works

    Methodology & formulas

    This calculator is transparent by design. Review the steps and formulas so you can trust the estimate and adjust assumptions when your dashboard differs.

    Calculation steps

    1. 1Convert candle size to pounds of wax for cost calculation.
    2. 2Multiply fragrance load by cost per ounce for fragrance cost.
    3. 3Sum all physical components for materials total.
    4. 4Add labor hours monetized at hourly rate.
    5. 5Add packaging and shipping for landed cost.
    6. 6Solve retail price formula for target margin including fees.

    Formulas

    • waxCost = sizeOz/16 × costPerLb
    • fragranceCost = ozPerCandle × costPerOz
    • materials = wax + fragrance + vessel + wick + label + dustCover
    • labor = minutes/60 × rate
    • landed = materials + labor + pack + ship
    • retail = landed/(1-margin-fee%)+feeFixed
    • wholesale 25% = landed/(1-0.25-fee%)+feeFixed

    Important assumptions

    • Wax cost = candleSizeOz/16 × waxCostPerPound.
    • Fragrance cost = oz per candle × cost per oz.
    • Materials = wax + fragrance + vessel + wick + label + dust cover.
    • Labor = laborMinutes/60 × hourlyRate.
    • Total landed = materials + labor + packaging + shipping.
    • Retail = landed / (1 - targetMargin - fee%) + feeFixed.
    • Wholesale uses 25% margin.

    Worked example

    8oz soy jar candle

    8oz soy: wax $1.75 (8/16×$3.50), fragrance $1.76 (0.64×$2.75), vessel $2.25 jar, wick $0.12, label $0.45, dust $0.15. Materials $6.48. Labor 12min×$20=$4. Pack $0.75+ship $5.99. Total $17.22. At 50%+10% fees $43.35. At 40%+10% $34.74. Wholesale 25% $23.58.

    Wax $1.75, fragrance $1.76, vessel $2.25, wick $0.12, label $0.45, dust $0.15 = $6.48 materials. Labor 12/60×$20=$4.00. Pack $0.75+ship $5.99=$6.74. Landed $17.22. Denom 1-0.5-0.1=0.4. $17.22/0.4=$43.05+$0.30=$43.35 at 50% margin, high for 8oz. At 40% margin denom 0.5, $17.22/0.5=$34.44+$0.30=$34.74 market-able. Wholesale 25%: denom 0.65, $17.22/0.65=$26.49+$0.30=$26.79. Many sellers round to $32-$36 DTC, $24-$26 wholesale.

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