Developed and maintained by ProWorkstack · Development and review process
Compare your dental payroll with a target based on production or collections, and check where the monthly figures differ.
Read the guide: Dental Payroll Percentage: Compare Collections and Net Production
Your results
Enter your inputs and select Calculate.
How this calculator works
Target payroll = selected collections or production × your target ratio. Signed payroll variance = actual payroll − target payroll. The primary result shows only the positive variance above the target. Converting to a yearly estimate multiplies the monthly variance by 12.
Worked example
At 90,000 in collections and a 25% planning target, target payroll is 22,500. Actual payroll of 28,000 is 5,500 above that target. The yearly equivalent comparison is 66,000, assuming the month is representative.
Assumptions
The ratio is your planning assumption, not a universal staffing benchmark. Match the target and actual payroll definitions. Defaults are illustrative. Collections may relate to earlier production periods.
Interpreting your results
A payroll target variance does not establish overpayment or justify reducing staffing. Skill mix, access, clinical quality, growth plans and compensation contracts all affect interpretation. A production-to-collection gap can reflect receivable timing rather than revenue loss. If the selected basis is zero, the payroll ratio is undefined.
Calculation formulas
- basis_value
IF(basis == 1, collections, net_production)- target_payroll
basis_value * target_pct/100- payroll_variance
payroll - target_payroll- excess
MAX(payroll_variance, 0)- Payroll above your target
excess- Yearly equivalent of payroll difference
excess * 12- Payroll target
target_payroll- Actual payroll percentage
payroll / basis_value * 100- Net production minus collections
net_production - collections
Sources and definitions
Maintained by ProWorkstack · Last reviewed: 2026-10-04 · Development and review process