# Job costing

> Job costing is the accumulation of all costs (labour hours at cost rates, travel, consumables, subcontractors, equipment) against a specific job so that they can be compared with the revenue invoiced for it.

- Source: https://amps.global/glossary/job-costing/
- Type: Glossary
- Published: 2026-09-05
- Tags: operations, finance

## Key facts

- Requires time and costs to be logged against the job as they occur, not reconstructed later
- Reveals unprofitable job types, clients or sites, and standby and travel that were never billed
- Shutdowns are compared job group by job group
- Analysis needs BI tooling; entry needs to be effortless for technicians

Also known as: job profitability, cost tracking, margin per job.

## Why it is hard in inspection

Costs are incurred in the field by many people and revenue is recognised weeks later by the office. Unless both land on the same job record, margin per job is a guess.

## Job costing in AMPS

Time and costs are logged on the job page in AMPS, invoices flow to Xero, and all AMPS data is available to Power BI. The shutdown case study describes using Power BI to compare shutdown performances, analyse costs and scrutinise time allocation.

## Related pages

- [Timesheet](https://amps.global/glossary/timesheet/)
- [Work in progress (WIP)](https://amps.global/glossary/work-in-progress/)
- [Power BI integration](https://amps.global/integrations/powerbi/)
- [How to manage a shutdown with AMPS](https://amps.global/case-studies/03-shutdown-management/)