Profit Goal Calculator

About this calculator

The starting point of any profit-goal calculation is the contribution margin — selling price minus variable cost per unit — which represents how much of each sale is left over to cover fixed costs and then profit. From there, the units you must sell to hit a target profit follow directly: Target units = (Fixed costs + Target profit) / Contribution margin per unit, and the corresponding sales revenue is that unit count multiplied by the price.

This is the core mechanic of cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis, a staple of managerial accounting that small business owners, startup founders and finance teams use to translate a profit target into a concrete, actionable sales number rather than a vague aspiration. It also shows at a glance how sensitive the goal is to price or cost changes — a small drop in contribution margin can push the required sales volume up sharply. This calculator works through those steps from your price, costs and desired profit.