Recruiting Fee Calculator
Recruiting fees are almost always a percentage of a new hire's first-year total compensation, not their base salary. Contingency search bills that percentage only when someone starts. Retained search charges a lower rate but takes part of it upfront. Embedded staffing skips the placement fee entirely and bills a monthly rate for a rep who sits on our payroll. Adjust the numbers below and see all four side by side, with the math shown.
Your hire
Suggested at 1.7x base — edit to override.
Latest from the blog
- How Top Sales Recruiters Build High-Performing Teams for Growing CompaniesSep 7, 2026
- How to Hire a Salesman Fast: Insights from Denver and San Diego HeadhuntersAug 31, 2026
- Executive Sales Recruiters: Your Guide to Hiring Top-Tier Sales LeadersAug 24, 2026
- Barber Jobs Made Easy: Finding the Right Chair with ChairUpAug 17, 2026
- Dental Sales Recruitment Done Right: How Atlanta's Top Headhunters Build Winning TeamsAug 8, 2026
- Why Top SaaS Companies Rely on Specialized Sales RecruitersJul 31, 2026
What each model costs
Contingency Search
$42,500
$170,000 x 25% = $42,500
Pay only when you hire. Zero risk. 60-day replacement guarantee.
Retained Search
saves $8,500$34,000
$170,000 x 20% = $34,000
- 10% upfront — $17,000
- 10% at placement — $17,000
Lower total rate in exchange for exclusive, prioritized capacity.
Staffed Through JSC — recommended
$11,667per month
($100,000 x 1.12 employment burden ÷ 12) x 1.25 markup = $11,667/mo
Your rep, on our books. No US entity, payroll, or compliance burden. Convert to direct hire anytime. Fully burdened cost + 25%, no placement fee.
Hiring it yourself
$44,917
- Job ads, tools, and sourcing licenses$3,000
- Internal screening and interview time$9,000
- Vacancy cost (2 months of lost production)$14,167
- Mis-hire risk (25% chance of a failed hire)$18,750
- Per hire$44,917
The option that looks free and isn't.
Side by side
The staffed model is excluded here because it is a recurring monthly cost with no placement fee, so it is not comparable to a one-time search fee.
Recruiting fees, answered
Not sure which model fits?
Fifteen minutes with Adam. He'll tell you straight, including if you don't need a recruiter at all.