Guide
How much does a recruiter cost? Salary, fees and the alternatives
Facts checked 2 November 2026
In the US an in-house recruiter costs about $108,000 a year: the $75,940 median pay plus payroll costs.1,2 A technical recruiter costs $95,000–130,000 fully loaded,3 and a LinkedIn Recruiter seat adds $8,000–12,000 a year.4 The other ways to buy recruiting charge differently: an agency takes 15–25% of the hire's first-year salary,5 a freelance recruiter $25–70 an hour,6 a fractional one about $104 an hour.7 Below: each option's price, a calculator for a year of hiring, and the costs that don't show on the invoice.
Where Boost fits
For a few roles a year: HireAll Boost
You pay for the search itself, not for a salary or a share of one: $0.40–0.50 per person invited, 100 credits free. Boost finds the people, invites them, follows up, collects your questionnaire and books the interviews.
- ≈ $240–300 a month per role at the Fast pace, about 17 interviews estimate
- No salary, no seat and no fee when you hire
- Pause between roles: credits don't expire
In-house
What an in-house recruiter costs in a year
The salary is only the start. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counts recruiters among human resources specialists, whose median pay was $75,940 in May 2025.1 Wages are 70% of what an employer spends on a worker, benefits and payroll taxes being the rest,2 so that median recruiter costs about $108,000 a year. A technical recruiter costs more: KORE1 tells clients to plan on $95,000–130,000 a year, fully loaded, for a mid-level in-house technical recruiter, before tools.3
Then come the tools. A recruiter who sources on LinkedIn needs a Recruiter seat, about $8,000–12,000 a year,4 and usually an applicant tracking system on top. The first year of one in-house recruiter in the US comes to roughly $116,000–142,000 before the ATS.
| Cost line | A year | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $75,940 | Human resources specialists, recruiters included, May 20251 |
| With payroll costs | ≈ $108,000 | Wages are 70% of an employer's cost of a worker2 |
| Technical recruiter | $95,000–130,000 | Mid-level, in-house, fully loaded before tools3 |
| LinkedIn Recruiter seat | $8,000–12,000 | List price per seat; LinkedIn quotes each deal4 |
| First year, all in | ≈ $116,000–142,000 | Pay, payroll costs and a seat, before an applicant tracking system |
Recruiter salary in Germany: around €56,000 gross a year on average in Hays's 2023 HR salary report. Half of recruiters earn under €50,600, and the best paid over €90,000; the employer's social contributions come on top.8
Other ways
Agency, freelance, fractional or RPO: what each costs
A full-time recruiter is one of several ways to buy recruiting. The others charge per hire, per hour or per month, and each fits a different volume of hiring. Prices as published, each with its source.
| Option | How you pay | Typical price | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| HireAll BoostOur pick | Per person invited | $0.40–0.50 an invite; ≈ $240–300 a month per role at the Fast pace estimate | Hiring managers with a few roles at a time |
| In-house recruiter | A salary | ≈ $108,000 a year in the US with payroll costs1,2 | A steady flow of roles all year |
| Contingency agency | A fee per hire | 15–25% of first-year salary, most often 20%5 | One-off or hard-to-fill roles |
| Retained search | In thirds, from signing | ≈ 33% of salary, bonus and signing bonus9 | Senior and confidential searches |
| Freelance recruiter | By the hour | $25–70 an hour on Upwork6 | Sourcing help on a short project |
| Fractional recruiter | A part-time retainer | ≈ $104 an hour on average; $5,000–9,300 a month at 18 hours a week7 | Startups between hiring pushes |
| RPO | Per hire or per month | $3,000–10,000+ per hire, or $8,000–15,000 a month5 | Volume hiring across many roles |
For scale: SHRM's 2025 benchmarking puts the average cost per hire at $5,475 for non-executive roles and $35,879 for executive ones, every route to a hire included.10 The prices above come in different units, which is why the calculator below puts them on one: a year of hiring.
Calculator
Recruiter vs Boost: a year of hiring, priced
Move the slider to the number of roles you fill in a year. An in-house or fractional recruiter costs the same whatever the number; an agency and an RPO charge per hire; Boost charges for the roles you run.
What the figures assume: an agency fee of 20–25% on a $120,000 salary; a fractional recruiter at 18 hours a week all year; an RPO at its per-hire price; an in-house recruiter from the median cost above to a technical recruiter's, plus a LinkedIn seat. Boost runs each role for one month at the Fast pace: 600 invites and about 17 interviews estimate.
5 roles a year: HireAll Boost ≈ $1,200–1,500, against $15,000–50,000 for the cheapest other option here (RPO provider).
| Option | A year | Per role |
|---|---|---|
| HireAll BoostOur pickone month per role at the Fast pace, ≈ 17 interviews | $1,200–1,500 estimate | $240–300 estimate |
| In-house recruiterpay, payroll costs and a LinkedIn seat | $116,000–142,000 | $23,200–28,400 |
| Fractional recruiter18 hours a week, all year | $60,000–111,600 | $12,000–22,320 |
| Recruitment agency20–25% of a $120,000 salary per hire | $120,000–150,000 | $24,000–30,000 |
| RPO providerpriced per hire | $15,000–50,000 | $3,000–10,000 |
The totals don't buy the same thing, and the calculator doesn't pretend they do. An agency's or an RPO's fee buys a hire. A recruiter's salary buys a person who also runs your interviews, offers and onboarding. Boost's figure buys a month of invites per role and the interviews that come of them estimate; the interviews and the offer stay yours. At this salary an in-house recruiter costs less than agency fees from about 5 roles a year, and KORE1, which sells recruiting, tells clients with twelve or more technical roles a year to hire their own.3
Which one
Which one fits how you hire
The number of roles you fill in a year sorts the options faster than their price lists do.
One or two roles a year
Run each on Boost first: a month at the Fast pace costs about $300 estimate. Keep an agency for the one search you can't run in the open, such as a confidential senior hire.
Three to ten roles a year
Agency fees soon pass the cost of a recruiter, but a full-time hire may sit idle between waves. Run each role on Boost, and add a fractional recruiter for interviews and offers if you need the help.
A steady flow all year
Hire your own recruiter: at that volume a salary beats agency fees.3 Then give them Boost to source with, so their week goes to interviews and offers rather than to searching and chasing replies.
FAQ
Recruiter cost: questions people ask
How much does a recruiter cost?
In the US, about $108,000 a year for an in-house recruiter at median pay once payroll costs are added,1,2 or $95,000–130,000 fully loaded for a technical recruiter.3 An agency charges 15–25% of the hire's first-year salary instead;5 a freelance recruiter $25–70 an hour;6 a fractional one about $104 an hour on average.7
What is a recruiter's salary?
The US median for human resources specialists, recruiters included, was $75,940 in May 2025.1 Technical recruiters earn more: KORE1 puts most in-house offers at $70,000–130,000 base.3 In Germany a recruiter earns around €56,000 gross a year on average.8
How much does an in-house recruiter cost per year?
Pay, payroll costs and tools: about $108,000 at median pay with payroll costs,2 and $8,000–12,000 a year for a LinkedIn Recruiter seat,4 so roughly $116,000–142,000 in the first year, before an applicant tracking system.
Is it cheaper to hire a recruiter or use an agency?
It depends on how many roles you fill. At 20–25% of a $120,000 salary, agency fees pass the cost of an in-house recruiter at about 5 hires a year. KORE1, which sells recruiting, advises hiring your own recruiter from twelve technical roles a year.3
How much does a freelance recruiter charge?
Recruiters on Upwork charge $25–70 an hour.6 Fractional recruiters, who work part-time on a retainer, average about $104 an hour (the median is $85), or $5,000–9,300 a month at 18 hours a week.7
What is the average cost per hire?
SHRM's 2025 benchmarking puts it at $5,475 for non-executive roles and $35,879 for executive ones, counting every route to a hire.10
Can HireAll Boost replace a recruiter?
For the search, the outreach, the follow-ups, the first screening questions and the booking, yes: that is the work Boost does, at $0.40–0.50 per person invited. It doesn't run your interviews, negotiate offers or onboard anyone, so a team that hires all year may still want a recruiter, with Boost doing their sourcing.
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Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Human Resources Specialists, May 2025 data: median pay of human resources specialists, recruiters included: $75,940 a year. $75,940 ÷ 0.70 ≈ $108,000 with payroll costs. Checked 1 November 2026
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026: wages are 70.0% of employer costs for employee compensation. Checked 1 November 2026
- KORE1, Tech Recruiter Salary Guide 2026: Real Pay Bands, last updated 31 July 2026: a US tech recruiter earns "a median base near $90,000 in 2026, with most in-house offers landing between $70,000 and $130,000"; "For a mid-level in-house technical recruiter, plan on $95,000 to $130,000 fully loaded before tools"; LinkedIn Recruiter seats and an ATS "get forgotten in roughly half the budgets we review"; "Twelve or more technical reqs a year, steady flow? Hire the person yourself." KORE1 sells recruiting. Checked 2 November 2026
- Vendr, LinkedIn Software Pricing & Plans 2026, last updated February 2026: Recruiter: "List pricing typically ranges from $8,000 to $12,000 per seat annually"; "Discounts of 15–30% off list are common". Recruiter Lite: "around $140–$170/month per seat when billed annually". Checked 2 November 2026
- Pin, Recruitment Agency Commission Structures Explained, updated 19 October 2026: contingency "15% to 25% of the hire's first-year salary, and 20% is the figure most agencies quote"; retained 25–35% of total compensation, paid in thirds (engagement, shortlist "typically 30-45 days in", placement); a guarantee "typically 60-90 days"; RPO "$3,000-$10,000+ per hire or $8,000-$15,000 per month"; fast agencies deliver vetted candidates "within three to five days", against "industry averages of 40-60 days" to fill by hand; in-house recruiter jobs last a median 14 months. Pin sells a competing product. Checked 2 November 2026
- Upwork, Recruiter Hourly Rates | Cost to Hire Recruiter: "Recruiters on Upwork Cost $25–$70/hr." Checked 2 November 2026
- Go Fractional, Fractional Recruiter Cost & Rates, updated 2 November 2026: "Recruiter hourly rates currently average $104/hr"; the median is $85 and the middle 50% $70–130 an hour; "A fractional Recruiter costs $5,000 to $9,300 per month at a typical 18 hours per week". From 36 job posts and 68 candidate profiles of the last 90 days. Checked 2 November 2026
- Hays, Recruiter (m/f/d): Tasks, Salary & Jobs, figures from the Hays HR Salary Report 2023: "The average salary of a recruiter in Germany is around €56,000 gross per year"; in its table half of recruiters earn under €50,600 and a quarter over €64,600; "gross salaries of over €90,000 are possible". Checked 2 November 2026
- SHRM, How to Work Effectively with an Executive Search Firm, 18 July 2016: contingency recruiters "usually earn a fee in the area of 20 percent to 25 percent of the role's first-year cash compensation"; a retained search's standard fee "is about 33 percent of the role's annual salary, bonus and signing bonus". Checked 2 November 2026
- SHRM, SHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports, 15 October 2025: cost per hire: "Nonexecutive Average: $5,475", "Executive Average: $35,879"; 2,371 SHRM members surveyed. Checked 2 November 2026
- Get Staffed, How Much Do Recruitment Agencies Charge in the UK?, 8 September 2026: "Most UK recruitment agencies charge 15% to 30% of a candidate's first-year salary", plus VAT: £5,250–10,500 on a £35,000 hire; Hays's accounts work out at "roughly an £8,600 fee per permanent placement" (FY2025); "several agencies racing to fill the same brief"; rebates "commonly 4 to 12 weeks"; "Some agencies count any candidate who later applies to you directly within a set period"; the fee "is tied to the salary, not to the effort". Get Staffed sells flat-fee job ads. Checked 2 November 2026