Fixed vs Variable Costs - Explained
What are Fixed vs Variable Costs?
Written by Jason Gordon
Updated at October 13th, 2021
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What are Fixed and Variable Costs?
Costs are expenses that an individual or business must pay as part of operations.
Fixed costs are a stated amount over a period of time. They do not vary or fluctuate based upon the level of production or output.
Variable Costs vary based upon the level of production or output. They are the costs most directly related to the process of producing a good or service. As such, as output increases, these costs also increase.
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How Do Fixed and Variable Costs Work?
The percentage of fixed to variable costs incurred will vary based upon the nature of the business's operations and industry. For example, a power producer has very high fixed costs for infrastructure compared with the unit cost of energy. Similarly, a professional services firm has high fixed costs in the form of salaries compared to the cost of providing services to clients. A restaurant will have high variable costs (food and drink) that vary based upon the amount of sales. Similarly, a product business may incur high variable costs that will vary based upon the number of units produced.