Climbing Gym Staffing Cost Calculator
Work out your fixed monthly wage cost by role, rate, and headcount — front desk, route setters, instructors, and management, free to use, no sign-up required.
How Much Does it Cost to Staff a Climbing Gym?
Staffing is the biggest recurring costs in running a climbing gym, and it's easy to underestimate once you add up front desk coverage, route setting, instructors, and management across a full week.
This calculator gives you an estimation, completely free. Start from the preset roles, adjust rates and hours to match your team, and see your weekly, monthly, and annual wage cost roll up automatically.
Once you've got a staffing structure you're comfortable with, it's worth a second set of eyes before you commit to it. Chompers offers a free consultation where we learn about your goals, your space, and your requirements and let you know the next best steps.
Labour Cost Calculator
Estimate your fixed monthly wage cost based on staff roles, hourly rates, hours per week, and how many people work each role. Start from the preset roles below, adjust the numbers, or add your own.
Staff Roles
Summary Rollup
| Role | People | Hrs/week (each) | Total hrs/week | Weekly cost | Monthly cost |
|---|
How this works: weekly cost per role = hourly rate × hours per week (each person) × number of people in that role. Monthly cost uses an average of 4.33 weeks per month (52 weeks ÷ 12). This covers base wages only — it doesn't include on-costs like superannuation, payroll tax, workers' compensation insurance, leave loading, or public holiday penalty rates, all of which add meaningfully on top of base pay. Treat this as a starting estimate for fixed staffing cost, and confirm your real on-cost percentage with a bookkeeper or accountant before finalizing a budget.
← Last Tool: Equipment Cost Calculator - Next Tool: Route Setting Cost Calculator →
How it works
Start from preset roles
Front desk, duty manager, route setter, and instructor, ready to edit.
Set rate and hours
Hourly rate and hours per week, per person, for each role.
Add headcount
How many people work each role
See the rollup
Weekly, monthly, and annual cost, broken down by role.
Staffing Cost is a Big Piece of the Budget
Once you've got a number here, it feeds directly into the rest of your planning.
- Total monthly running costs alongside lease, insurance, and outgoings
- Break even and ROI once the doors are open
- Route setting costs on top of your fixed staff wages
- A realistic opening timeline that accounts for hiring lead time
You're welcome to continue using our resources, or you can skip straight to talking with us where we will walk you through all of this in our free consultations.
What This Tool Won't Tell You
- It's intended for early stage budgeting only.
- It covers base wages only. Not superannuation, payroll tax, or workers' comp.
- Public holiday penalty rates and leave loading aren't included.
- Confirm real costs with a bookkeeper or accountant before finalising a budget.
That's exactly what a free consultation with our team can help with — talk to us if you need any help.
Climbing gym staffing: FAQ
How much does it cost to staff a climbing gym?
It depends heavily on your opening hours, headcount, and role mix. Front desk coverage alone can add up fast across a full week, and route setters are typically paid above base staff rates. This calculator gives you a real number based on your own roster, rather than a generic industry average.
What roles does a climbing gym typically need?
Most gyms start with front desk/reception, a duty manager or supervisor, route setters, and instructors or coaches. Bigger gyms add dedicated maintenance, retail, and café staff as they grow.
Does this include superannuation and other on-costs?
No. This covers base wages only. Superannuation, payroll tax, workers' compensation insurance, and leave loading all add meaningfully on top, so treat this as a starting estimate and confirm your real on-cost percentage with a bookkeeper or accountant.
How is route setting cost different from staffing cost?
Staffing cost here covers fixed headcount. The people on your roster every week. Route setting is often a variable, recurring cost on top of that (or paid to the same setters at a different rate for reset work), which is why we've split it into its own calculator.
How do I turn this into an actual business plan?
This staffing cost is one of several free planning tools that feed into a compiled draft business plan. Total investment, running costs, and ROI all included. Once you've got your numbers, a free chat with us can sanity-check the plan before you commit to anything.
READY TO BUILD YOUR NEXT CLIMBING PROJECT?
Talk to us! No matter what stage you're at