What Is Producer Surplus: Definition, Examples and Tips

The free market is defined by trade. Producers manufacture products at a certain price and consumers buy them. In theory, the higher the price that producers sell for, the more they will earn.

However, consumers aren’t always willing to purchase at high prices, which is where the market equilibrium plays a role. With this in mind, it’s important to understand the concept of producer surplus and the role it plays in the pricing of goods.

That’s why this article focuses on answering the question “what is producer surplus?” by offering a definition, some real-world examples, and tips for maximising the value a producer gets when they produce higher quantities of goods. 

Let’s explore in more detail below.

Definition of Producer Surplus

As part of the branch of welfare economics, the definition of producer surplus looks at the minimum price that a producer is willing to sell for and the maximum price that they actually sell for.

The difference between the maximum price and the minimum price is the producer surplus. 

Total producer surplus is measured on the supply curve by examining the triangle above it. This triangle represents the difference between the market price (the equilibrium price a consumer pays) and the price at which the producer is willing to sell.

How Producer Surplus Works

It costs a company or a producer a certain amount of money to produce products. This is called the marginal cost of production, which includes the opportunity cost. The higher the number of products manufactured, the higher the cost of production.

That’s when producers’ price increases for manufacturing goods. This is because they need more resources to be allocated to producing the goods, which are taken from other areas and means the producer has available to them.

How to Calculate Producer Surplus

Calculating producer surplus means calculating the producer surplus area on the triangle above the supply curve where the minimum amount for which the producer is willing to pay is subtracted from the current market price. 

The formula for calculating producer surplus is therefore as follows:

Producer surplus = Total revenue – total cost 

Factors Affecting Producer Surplus

Factors that affect the producer surplus include:

• The marginal cost of production;
• Opportunity cost;
• Market price;
• The minimum amount the producer is willing to accept;
• The minimum amount consumers are willing to pay.

With this in mind, it’s not always about businesses selling at higher prices to maximise their profits. 

It’s also about considering the actual amount consumers are willing to pay for a product. Therefore, the quantity of goods sold must be in line with market demand as well.

Producer Surplus vs. Consumer Surplus

Having covered producer surplus, let’s now look at consumer surplus and how the two fit together. Consumer and producer surplus both deal with market prices.

Whereas the producer surplus looks at the total amount that a producer makes based on the higher price sold minus their minimum price requirements, consumer surplus considers the consumer side of the equation.

Consumer surplus is calculated on the demand curve. It is determined by considering the price consumers are willing to pay for something from a seller and the price they actually pay for it.

For example, a buyer is willing to pay £15 for new headphones. However, they get a good deal at £12. The difference between £15 and £12 is £3, which is the measure of the consumer surplus.

Real-World Examples of Producer Surplus

In order to calculate a producer’s economic surplus, we take their cost of production to calculate how much it costs them to produce an item. We then look at that value and the minimum amount they’re willing to sell for versus the maximum price they actually get.

Say that a producer manufactured T-shirts. They are willing to sell each t-shirt at £10. However, the market price indicates that they can sell the t-shirt at £15. The difference between £15 and £10 is £5, which is the producer surplus. 

While some may confuse producer surplus with profit, it must be remembered that profit minuses from the revenue total fixed and variable costs, whereas producer surplus only subtracts variable costs.

Tips for Analysing and Maximising Producer Surplus

Some tips for maximising your producer surplus include the following:

• Seek to decrease your marginal cost of production.
• Also aim to lower your opportunity costs.
• Produce more products at lower prices.
• Sell at higher prices that consumers are willing to pay.

In an ideal world, you want your opportunity cost and marginal cost of production to have a lower price. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of lower production costs so that you can enjoy a lower minimum price acceptable and charge more for your goods.

Ultimately, the market supply and demand dictate these prices. However, by keeping your production costs low and charging more than your minimum price, you can achieve a decent equilibrium while still enticing buyers to purchase from you.

Conclusion

Calculating producer surplus is a simple mathematical equation to calculate in theory. However, with so many different factors affecting your cost of production, this can be quite a fluctuating exercise, depending on your opportunity costs and other variables that impact your minimally acceptable price. 

Aiming for a reduction in these costs while ensuring you can charge higher prices that consumers are willing to pay for is the ideal solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is producer surplus?

The producer surplus is the difference between the price that customers pay for a product and the minimum price that a company is willing to sell for.

How is producer surplus measured?

A supply and demand graph represents the producer surplus as the triangular area above the supply line reaching the market price paid. It is calculated by looking at the producer’s total revenue minus their marginal cost of production. The benefit for the producer is when they can charge higher market prices which consumers end up paying for their items compared to what the producer is willing to accept.

What is total surplus?

Adding the producer surplus and the consumer surplus together gives us the total economic surplus.