How to Change a Resource Cost Rate

By Kevin Williamson, MCTS, MCP, PMP

Many users of Microsoft Office Project (Project) will only need one rate per resource, because most resources are paid the same amount over time either in salary or as hourly workers. Occasionally organizations need to have multiple rates available. Microsoft Office Project provides up to five (5) rates for each resource.

• Project handles the rates in the rate tables (A-E) as COST RATES.
• Each resource rate (tab/table) can be updated programmatically, using the effective date fields in each rate table.
• Tab (table) A is always the default rate. You have to manually change the rate applied for a resource at the task assignment level, either individually or to a group of task assignments associated with a resource.
• You cannot add more rate tabs/tables.
• You cannot easily change the names of the tabs/tables, so you will need to keep a record of what the different rates on different tabs relate to (kinds of contracts, specific client, types of work, etc.), and make that key available to project and resource managers to guide their application of rates to project tasks.

Setting up Resource Cost Rates

You can set up different rates for a resource by double clicking the resource name in any resource view (Resource Graph, Resource Sheet, or Resource Usage) in Project. Once the Resource Information dialogue box appears, click into the Costs tab. Enter the different cost rates you want available for each resource in the first Standard Rate field of each tab/table. You can enter a different rate or a percentage difference (either positive, reflecting when a raise takes effect, or negative, reflecting a reduction) in the Standard Rate field in the lines below, and the date those differences should be applied in the Effective Date field on each line.

When you set up a resource, the default rate is the rate in tab (table) A. There are a few ways to apply the other available rates in tabs (tables) B, C, D, or E to a resource’s assignments.

Applying a Different (non-default) Resource Cost Rate
You can change the resource cost rate following these steps:

1. Open either the Task Usage or Resource Usage view.
2. Select single task or a group of tasks to which you want to apply a different rate.

   

3. Right click on the selected tasks and click on Assignment Information.

   

4. Click on the Cost rate table drop-down menu on the General tab and select the rate tab/table you want to apply, and then click OK.

   

   The default (or effective) rate for the tab/table you selected will be applied to the selected tasks.