Food Truck Staffing Costs (2026): Wages, Payroll Tax, and Scheduling

Q: How much does an employee actually cost beyond their hourly wage?

Plan on roughly 14% on top of gross wages for employer-side payroll taxes alone (FICA plus FUTA), meaning about $114 in total cost for every $100 in wages paid, before adding workers' comp, any state unemployment insurance above the FUTA credit, or benefits.

Q: What is FICA and how much does it cost the employer?

FICA totals 15.3% of wages, split evenly: 7.65% withheld from the employee's paycheck and 7.65% matched by the employer. That employer 7.65% breaks down as 6.2% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base) and 1.45% for Medicare (no wage cap).

Q: What is FUTA and how much does it cost?

Federal unemployment tax (FUTA) is nominally 6% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages per year, but employers current on state unemployment tax payments get a 5.4% credit, bringing the effective net FUTA rate down to 0.6% on that same $7,000 base.

Q: Can a food truck pay tipped employees less than minimum wage?

Under federal law, yes, using a tip credit: a $2.13/hour cash wage plus up to $5.12/hour in tip credit to reach the $7.25 federal minimum. But seven states (Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) don't allow any tip credit and require the full state minimum wage paid in cash regardless of tips, so check your state before assuming the federal tipped rate applies.

Q: What does scheduling software cost for a small food truck crew?

Homebase is free for one location with up to 20 employees, then roughly $24.95/month for its Essentials tier. 7shifts has a free tier up to 30 employees, then plans starting around $39.99/month per location. When I Work prices per user starting around $2.50/user/month rather than per location.

Updated August 12, 2026

The hourly rate you post isn't what an employee actually costs you. Employer-side payroll taxes, tip-credit rules that vary sharply by state, and scheduling software all add up on top of gross wages. Here's the real math for 2026.

What an employee actually costs beyond wages

As a working rule of thumb, plan on spending roughly $114 in total cost for every $100 you pay in wages once employer-side payroll taxes are added — that's before workers' compensation insurance, any state unemployment tax above the federal credit, or benefits. That extra ~14% comes from two federal payroll taxes: FICA (Social Security and Medicare) and FUTA (federal unemployment). Budget against this loaded number, not the posted hourly wage, when deciding how many hours you can actually staff.

FICA: the employer match

FICA totals 15.3% of wages, split evenly between employer and employee at 7.65% each. On the employer side, that 7.65% breaks into 6.2% for Social Security, which applies up to an annual wage base cap, and 1.45% for Medicare, which has no wage cap at all. This is a flat, unavoidable cost on every W-2 employee's wages — there's no exemption for a small crew or a seasonal truck.

FUTA: federal unemployment tax

FUTA is nominally 6% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages per year. In practice, almost every employer who's current on state unemployment insurance payments receives a 5.4% credit against that rate, bringing the effective net FUTA cost down to 0.6% on that same $7,000 wage base per employee — a small amount, but still a real line item, and one that resets each January per employee.

Payroll tax	Employer cost
FICA — Social Security	6.2% of wages (up to annual wage base)
FICA — Medicare	1.45% of wages (no cap)
FUTA (federal unemployment)	0.6% net (with state credit) on first $7,000/employee/year
Approximate total employer load	~14% on top of gross wages

Tipped wages and tip-credit rules by state

Federal law allows a tip credit: employers can pay a tipped employee a $2.13/hour cash wage and count up to $5.12/hour in tips toward the $7.25 federal minimum wage, as long as tips actually bring the employee to that floor — if they don't, the employer has to make up the difference. But this is not available everywhere. Seven states ban tip credits entirely and require the full state minimum wage paid in cash on top of whatever the employee earns in tips: Alaska ($13.00/hour), California ($16.90/hour), Minnesota ($11.41/hour), Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. If your truck operates in one of those states, the tipped-wage math above doesn't apply — budget the full state minimum for every hour worked, tips or not. Always check both federal and your specific state/city rate and use whichever is higher.

Scheduling software costs

For a small crew, scheduling software mostly saves you from group-text chaos and no-show confusion, and several tools have a genuinely usable free tier at food-truck scale.

Tool	Starting price
Homebase	Free for 1 location, up to 20 employees; Essentials ~$24.95/month/location
7shifts	Free tier up to 30 employees; paid plans from ~$39.99/month/location
When I Work	From ~$2.50/user/month (per-user pricing, includes time tracking)

Note the pricing models differ: Homebase and 7shifts price per location, which works out cheaper for a single truck with more staff, while When I Work prices per user, which can work out cheaper for a very small crew. Most single-truck operators with a handful of employees never need to leave the free tier of Homebase or 7shifts.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an employee actually cost beyond their hourly wage?

Roughly 14% on top of gross wages for employer payroll taxes alone — about $114 total for every $100 paid — before workers' comp or benefits.

What is FICA and how much does it cost the employer?

FICA is 15.3% total, split evenly; the employer's 7.65% share breaks down as 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare.

What is FUTA and how much does it cost?

Nominally 6% on the first $7,000 of wages per employee per year, but the effective net rate is 0.6% for employers current on state unemployment tax.

Can a food truck pay tipped employees less than minimum wage?

Federally, yes, via a $2.13/hour cash wage plus tip credit up to $7.25. Seven states (AK, CA, MN, MT, NV, OR, WA) ban tip credits and require full state minimum wage regardless of tips.

What does scheduling software cost for a small food truck crew?

Homebase and 7shifts both offer usable free tiers (20 and 30 employees respectively) before paid plans start around $24.95-$39.99/month/location.

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