---
title: "Calculations Using The Formula Field In Airtable | Airtable Support"
slug: "calculations-using-the-formula-field-overview"
description: "This article covers how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using the formula field in Airtable. In a spreadsheet, you can put a formula in any cell, and have it reference any other cell in the sheet. Airtable is a relational database so formulas are applied for the entire field (column) so that the same formula applies to every record in that field."
tags: ["formula field ", "calculations ", "formula"]
updated: 2025-08-18T17:19:55Z
published: 2025-08-18T17:19:55Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.airtable.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Formula field calculations in Airtable

| [**Plan availability**](https://airtable.com/pricing) | All plan types |
| --- | --- |
| **Platform(s)** | Web/Browser, Mac app, and Windows app |
| **Related reading** | - [Getting started with formulas](/docs/getting-started-with-formulas)[Nested IF formulas](/docs/comparing-text-strings-using-if-statements) - [Formula field reference](/docs/formula-field-reference) - [Nested IF formulas](/docs/comparing-text-strings-using-if-statements) - [Formulas and date fields](/docs/formulas-and-date-fields) |

## Multiplying in Airtable

Let's say you'd like to calculate the total wages for a team of hourly staff. You'll need a field to track hours ([number field](/docs/number-field-type)), another to track wages ([currency field](/docs/field-types-overview)), and a final field ([formula field](/docs/formula-field-reference)) to enter as a formula.

```plaintext
{Hours Worked} * {Hourly Wage}
```

![360045339694ScreenShot2019-09-04at81155PM.jpg](https://cdn.airtable.document360.io/d0ee2ee4-3f78-47c7-b388-85e40be9fb89/Images/Documentation/360045339694ScreenShot2019-09-04at81155PM.jpg)

## Subtracting in Airtable

You can accomplish similar calculations using the same formula structure when subtracting. To find the difference between wages due and wages paid, you would use a formula like the following:

```plaintext
{Total Wages Due} - {Total Wages Paid}
```

![360045339834ScreenShot2019-09-04at81835PM.jpg](https://cdn.airtable.document360.io/d0ee2ee4-3f78-47c7-b388-85e40be9fb89/Images/Documentation/360045339834ScreenShot2019-09-04at81835PM.jpg)

## Dividing in Airtable

In a different scenario, let's say that you're using Airtable to track your freelance project work. You quote a certain number of hours of service you will provide, and want to track your completion towards those hours.

```plaintext
{Actual Hours} / {Quoted Hours}
```

![360046198133ScreenShot2019-09-04at82814PM.jpg](https://cdn.airtable.document360.io/d0ee2ee4-3f78-47c7-b388-85e40be9fb89/Images/Documentation/360046198133ScreenShot2019-09-04at82814PM.jpg)

> [!CAUTION]
> Note
> 
> To output the result of your formula as a percentage, you’ll want to be sure to click the **Formatting** tab in the formula field’s configuration window and select **Percent** under the “Format” section. Please consult the information available [in this support article](https://support.airtable.com/docs/the-essentials-of-airtable-formulas#formatting-formula-field-outputs) to learn more.

## Adding in Airtable

You can add multiple fields together by separating them with a + sign. In the example below, several fields are added together to find the final invoice total for a legal department.

```plaintext
{Legal Consult} + {Retainer} + {Miscellaneous Fees}
```

![360045340274ScreenShot2019-09-04at83338PM.jpg](https://cdn.airtable.document360.io/d0ee2ee4-3f78-47c7-b388-85e40be9fb89/Images/Documentation/360045340274ScreenShot2019-09-04at83338PM.jpg)

## Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing using one formula in Airtable

You can run any number of different functions within the same formula. In the example below, several different factors play into finding the final amount to charge a client on a payment plan:

- Multiply `{Consult: Hours} * {Consult {Rate}`
- Add `{Retainer}` and `{Miscellaneous fees}`
- Subtract `{Discounts}`
- Divide everything by `{Num. of Payments}`

All of these are built-in to a formula together in {Charge per Payment} using the formula below:

```plaintext
(
 ({Consult: Rate}*{Consult: Hours}) 
 + Retainer 
 + {Miscellaneous Fees}
 - {Discounts}
)
 /{Num. of Payments}
```

![360046199913ScreenShot2019-09-04at85044PM.jpg](https://cdn.airtable.document360.io/d0ee2ee4-3f78-47c7-b388-85e40be9fb89/Images/Documentation/360046199913ScreenShot2019-09-04at85044PM.jpg)

## FAQs

**How do I format the results (output) of an equation in a formula field?**

Please consult the information available [in this support article](https://support.airtable.com/docs/the-essentials-of-airtable-formulas#formatting-formula-field-outputs) to learn more.