# How do I price candles to make a profit?

Cost one candle from a full batch, add your time, overhead, a margin and selling fees. ProfitDrawer's candle business guide prices an 8 oz container candle: $5.00 of materials, $2.75 of your time and $0.75 of overhead make $8.50. Adding 40% gives $11.90, and covering an example 10% in selling and payment fees gives $13.22, rounded to $14 plus shipping. These are example numbers, not market prices.

Materials in the example: wax $1.10, fragrance oil $1.20, wick $0.15, jar and lid $1.60, label $0.25, and box and packing $0.70.

Your time: a batch of 24 takes 3 hours at $22 an hour, so $66 / 24 = $2.75 per candle.

**Why divide for fees instead of adding them:** fees are taken from the selling price, so the guide divides by 0.90 ($11.90 / 0.90). Check it: $14 minus 10% fees ($1.40) is $12.60, and minus the $8.50 cost leaves $4.10 profit, on top of your $2.75 in pay.

Tips:

- Recost the candle whenever a supplier price changes.
- Use your real fee rate for each place you sell; 10% is only the guide's example.
- Wholesale buyers need a lower price so they can resell, so make sure your wholesale price still covers your full cost.

The free price per job calculator can help you run the numbers.

- Source: [How to Start a Candle Business (From Home, Step by Step)](https://profitdrawer.com/guides/how-to-start-a-candle-business.html)
- Updated: 2026-10-29
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Category: Pricing and profit
- Canonical: https://profitdrawer.com/answers/how-do-i-price-candles-to-make-a-profit.html
- Publisher: ProfitDrawer (https://profitdrawer.com)