Rob Haggart posted this. Pretty nice. Any of you making a profit?
https://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/cdb/cdbcalc.cfm
I don't need no stink-keen calculator to know the answer!
Camera, lenses, cards, batteries, filters, lighting, tripods... (do I get to add software, backup drive and calibrated monitor?), travel, even if my time is "free", who needs a calculator?
You have to love what you are doing for a start. The money may come later if you are one of the very lucky or very exceptionally skilled people. But if I take your point at face value, it's a business and the people who succeed run it like a business.