Official ONS figures for each trade: where the money goes, how it has changed since 2019, and a free calculator to compare your own business.
Staff costs and bought-in goods and services as a share of turnover, 2024. Source: ONS Annual Business Survey, published 26 May 2026. Figures cover businesses registered for VAT or PAYE. Averages are pulled up by the largest firms.
| Trade (main ONS class) | Staff costs | Bought-in costs | Left after both | Average turnover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car Dealerships | 4.9% | 90.6% | 4.5% | £9,104,000 |
| Care Homes and Domiciliary Care | 57.4% | 23.2% | 19.4% | £4,304,000 |
| Commercial Cleaning | 60.4% | 26.1% | 13.5% | £786,000 |
| Electrical Contractors | 27.6% | 54.7% | 17.6% | £692,000 |
| Fit-Out and Finishing Trades | 21.2% | 52.3% | 26.4% | £496,000 |
| Funeral Directors | 34.5% | 46.9% | 18.6% | £1,022,000 |
| Garden Centres | 21.0% | 69.2% | 9.8% | £948,000 |
| Gyms and Fitness | 29.6% | 38.1% | 32.2% | £523,000 |
| Haulage and Courier | 25.4% | 52.9% | 21.6% | £847,000 |
| Hotels, B&Bs and Holiday Lets | 31.9% | 38.3% | 29.8% | £2,875,000 |
| Independent Retail | 12.9% | 79.1% | 8.0% | £2,409,000 |
| Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance | 29.0% | 48.3% | 22.7% | £316,000 |
| Manufacturing | 16.7% | 68.3% | 15.0% | £5,220,000 |
| Plumbing and Heating | 28.0% | 49.6% | 22.4% | £519,000 |
| Printing and Signage | 24.8% | 56.2% | 19.0% | £1,157,000 |
| Recruitment Agencies | 28.0% | 48.9% | 23.1% | £1,305,000 |
| Removals and Storage | 36.9% | 28.0% | 35.2% | £442,000 |
| Restaurants, Cafes and Pubs | 33.7% | 52.2% | 14.1% | £528,000 |
| Vehicle Repair Garages | 20.6% | 65.6% | 13.8% | £755,000 |
| Veterinary Practices | 41.0% | 39.7% | 19.3% | £2,113,000 |
| All UK non-financial businesses | 19.0% | 65.8% | 15.2% | £2,032,000 |
Each guide explains the figures for that trade and includes a free benchmark calculator. Email yourself the results as a PDF.
About £90 of every £100 is the cost of the cars. Margin is thin and stock is everything.
Read Guide →In home care, staff costs take over three quarters of turnover. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Staff costs take about 60% of turnover in general cleaning. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Materials take over half of turnover. Official figures and a free benchmark.
Read Guide →Joinery, painting, decorating and other finishing trades compared on official figures.
Read Guide →What is left after costs has fallen since 2019. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Stock is the big issue: about two months of purchases sit on the shelves.
Read Guide →Half again as many fitness businesses as in 2019. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Fewer hauliers, turnover behind inflation. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Hotels and short-stay lets compared on official figures, with a free benchmark.
Read Guide →About £79 of every £100 goes on stock and bought-in costs. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →A fast-growing trade of small firms. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Materials take two thirds of turnover and stock covers over two months of purchases.
Read Guide →Staff costs rose from a fifth to over a quarter of turnover in five years.
Read Guide →A shrinking trade in real terms, with fewer businesses than in 2019.
Read Guide →Permanent and temporary recruitment compared on official figures.
Read Guide →Removal firms keep more of each £100 than in 2019. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Staff costs up, what is left down since 2019. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Parts take about two thirds of turnover. Official figures and a benchmark.
Read Guide →Turnover up sharply, fewer businesses, staff costs a bigger share. Official figures.
Read Guide →