The Salary Arbitrage Calculator
See exactly how much your MSP pockets from your labour.
Estimates based on industry data, ASX filings, and Fair Work benchmarks. Client rates vary by contract. This tool exposes the structural gap, not exact figures for your specific contract.
Want to dig deeper? Read our [Salary Black Hole](/salary-black-hole.html) article to see where the money actually goes, or explore the [Offshore Arbitrage](/offshore-arbitrage.html) model that powers the gap.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does the MSP salary arbitrage work?
MSPs typically charge clients $150-$250/hour for an engineer's labour while paying the engineer $30-$50/hour. The difference — often 60-75% — goes to the MSP as overhead and profit. Use our Arbitrage Calculator to see the exact gap.
What is a reasonable MSP markup?
A reasonable MSP markup is typically 2-3x the engineer's hourly cost. Anything above 4x suggests excessive arbitrage. See our MSP Financial Breakdown for detailed analysis.
How can I calculate my true market value?
Use the Salary Arbitrage Calculator to input your role, salary, and bill rate. It shows exactly how much the MSP pockets from your labour compared to your market rate.
Do all MSPs operate on labour arbitrage?
Most do to varying degrees. The Broken MSP Model explains why this is structural to the industry, not just个别 bad actors.