Manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs explanation and examples

Non-manufacturing costs, on the other hand, never get included in inventory rather are expensed out immediately as incurred. This is why the manufacturing costs are often termed as product costs and non-manufacturing costs are often termed as period costs. Manufacturing costs refer to those that are spent to transform materials into finished goods. Manufacturing costs include direct materials, direct labor, and factory overhead. Manufacturing costs other than direct materials and direct labor are categorized as manufacturing overhead cost (also known as factory overhead costs). They usually include indirect materials, indirect labor, salary of supervisor, lighting, heat and insurance cost of factory etc.
Direct labor:
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Distinguishing between the two categories is critical because the category determines where a cost will appear in the financial statements. As we indicated earlier, nonmanufacturing costs are also called period costs; that is because they are expensed on the income statement in the time period in which they are incurred. In other words, these costs are not part of a manufacturer’s product cost or contra asset account its production costs (which are direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead).
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Mosly, manufacturing overhead costs cannot be easily traced to individual units of finished products. Even though nonmanufacturing overhead costs are not product costs according to GAAP, these expenses (along with product costs and profit) must be covered by the selling prices of a company’s products. In other words, selling prices must be large enough to cover SG&A expenses, interest expense, manufacturing overhead, direct labor, direct materials, and profit. All manufacturing costs that are easily traceable to a product are classified as either direct materials or direct labor. All nonmanufacturing costs are not related to production and are classified as either selling costs or general and administrative costs.
Manufacturing overhead cost:
Direct labor refers to salaries and wages of employees who work to convert the raw materials to finished goods. Note “Business in Action 2.3.2” provides examples of nonmanufacturing costs at PepsiCo, Inc. Note 1.48 “Business in Action 1.6” provides examples of nonmanufacturing costs at PepsiCo, Inc. For example, cement is a finished product for manufacturers of cement and raw materials for companies involved in construction business. Examples of general and administrative costs include salaries and bonuses of top executives nonmanufacturing costs include and the costs of administrative departments, including personnel, accounting, legal, and information technology. Direct materials – cost of items that form an integral part of the finished product.
- In other words, selling prices must be large enough to cover SG&A expenses, interest expense, manufacturing overhead, direct labor, direct materials, and profit.
- These costs include the sales, administrative, and loan interest costs incurred by a business.
- Figure 1.4 shows examples of production activities at Custom Furniture Company for each of the three categories (we continue using this company as an example in Chapter 2).
- On the other hand, a product with a low gross profit may actually be very profitable, if it uses only a minimal amount of administrative and selling expense.
Non-manufacturing costs are costs incurred in other business costs apart from the production sector. While manufacturing or production costs are the core costs for a manufacturing entity, the other costs are also just as important as they too affect overall profitability. Thus, management attention must be focused on both the core and the ancillary costs to control and manage them with a view to maximize profitability on long term basis.
Nonmanufacturing overhead costs definition
- As their names indicate, direct material and direct labor costs are directly traceable to the products being manufactured.
- Factory overhead – also called manufacturing overhead, refers to all costs other than direct materials and direct labor spent in the production of finished goods.
- The sales price of each table varies significantly, from $1,000 to more than $30,000.
- For over twenty-five years their time-tested technology has been giving businesses the edge over their competition.
- They usually include indirect materials, indirect labor, salary of supervisor, lighting, heat and insurance cost of factory etc.
Examples include wood in furniture, steel in automobile, water in bottled drink, fabric in shirt, etc. Since nonmanufacturing overhead costs are outside of the manufacturing function, these nonmanufacturing costs are immediately expensed in the accounting period in which they are incurred. That is why accountants refer to nonmanufacturing costs as period costs or period expenses. The labor cost that can be physically and conveniently traced to a unit of finished product is called direct labor cost or touch labor cost.
Manufacturing Overhead
A word used by accountants to communicate that an expense has occurred and needs to be recognized on the income statement even though no payment was made. The second part of Food Truck Accounting the necessary entry will be a credit to a liability account.


Non-manufacturing costs include those costs that are not incurred in the production process but are incurred for other business activities of the entity. These costs do not specifically contribute to the actual production of goods but are essential to ensure overall functioning of the business. While depreciation on manufacturing equipment is considered a manufacturing cost, depreciation on the warehouse in which products are held after they are made is considered a period cost.

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