Candle Pricing Calculator

Price handmade candles from wax, fragrance load, vessel, wick, labor and overhead, with wholesale and retail prices.

Your numbers

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Wax and fragrance

Units

Fill weight per candle (wax + fragrance)

Fragrance load

Fragrance as a % of wax weight. Stay within your wax maker's stated maximum.

Wax price per lb

Fragrance oil price per oz

Other materials per candle

Jar or vessel (with lid)

Wick and sticker

Label, box and packaging

Dye and other additives

Labor and overhead

Labor minutes per candle

Your batch time (melting, pouring, curing checks, labeling) divided by the candles in the batch.

min

Hourly rate for your time

Overhead per candle

Rent, utilities, testing and equipment spread across a month's candles.

Pricing

Wholesale multiplier (× cost)

Retail multiplier (× wholesale)

Selling fees on retail

Payment processing, plus marketplace fees if you sell on Etsy.

Your result · updates as you type

Retail price

$33.14

Cost $8.29 × 2 = $16.57 wholesale, × 2 = $33.14 retail. You keep $23.86 on each candle you sell yourself.

Cost per candle: $8.29
Wholesale price: $16.57
Retail margin after fees: 72%

Vessel and packaging often cost more than the wax. Buying jars by the case is usually the fastest way to lower cost per candle.

What goes into one candle

Wax

$1.48

Fragrance

$1.30

Vessel & packaging

$3.20

Labor

$1.80

Overhead

$0.50

Breakdown

Wax (7.41 oz): $1.48
Fragrance (0.59 oz at 8%): $1.30
Vessel, wick, label and dye: $3.20
Labor: $1.80
Overhead: $0.50
Cost per candle: $8.29
Wholesale profit per candle: $8.29
Retail profit per candle (after fees): $23.86

How the cost per candle is worked out

Fragrance load is the fragrance weight as a percentage of the wax weight. The fill weight holds both, so the calculator splits it: wax = fill ÷ (1 + load), and fragrance = wax × load.

Cost per candle = wax + fragrance + vessel + wick + label and packaging + dye + labor + overhead

Example: an 8 oz jar at 8% fragrance load

Wax: 8 ÷ 1.08 = 7.41 oz × $3.20/lb ÷ 16 = $1.48
Fragrance: 0.59 oz × $2.20 = $1.30
Vessel, wick, label, dye: $2.10 + $0.20 + $0.80 + $0.10 = $3.20
Labor and overhead: 6 min at $18/h = $1.80, plus $0.50

Cost is $8.29 a candle. At 2× it's $16.57 wholesale and at 2× again $33.14 retail.

Selling candles online

Variants. On Shopify and WooCommerce, make size or scent a variant so each one can carry its own price.
Shipping weight. Glass jars are heavy. Weigh a packed candle and set shipping rates from that weight.
Selling fees. Add payment and marketplace fees in Selling fees on retail. On Etsy, check the full fee with the Etsy fee calculator.

Pitfalls

Fragrance load limits. Every wax has a maximum fragrance load set by its manufacturer. Going over it can cause sweating or a poor burn.
Your time. Pricing labor at zero makes wholesale impossible later. Use a real hourly rate.
Testing. Wick and burn tests use up wax, jars and fragrance. Spread that into overhead.

Questions people ask

How much should I charge for a handmade candle?

Start from cost per candle. A common approach is cost × 2 for wholesale and wholesale × 2 for retail, which is where the default multipliers come from.

How do you calculate fragrance load?

Fragrance weight divided by wax weight. For 8% in 7.41 oz of wax, use 0.59 oz of fragrance.

Does fill weight include the fragrance?

In this calculator, yes. Fill weight is wax plus fragrance, the amount you pour into the vessel.

Can I use grams instead of ounces?

Yes. Switch Units to g and kg and enter wax and fragrance prices per kilogram.

Last reviewed 30 September 2026.