Recruiter Fee & Cost-Per-Hire Calculator
Staffing agencies charge 15% to 30% of candidate base salary. Use this calculator to see your true contingency cost vs. Vetta's flat SaaS membership with 100% $0 placement fees.
Average fee: $30,000 per placement. Paid in addition to candidate salary with zero refund if candidate leaves after guarantee period.
Includes unlimited candidate pipeline tracking, STAR rubrics, and 10 candidate unlocks/mo. Month-to-month flexibility.
How Much Do Recruiters Charge in 2026?
In 2026, standard recruitment agency fees fall between 15% and 30% of the candidate's first-year base salary. For specialized technical roles such as Senior Software Engineers ($160k median) or AI Engineers ($179k median), a single 20% to 25% contingent fee runs between $32,000 and $44,750.
Contingency vs. Flat Subscription Model
Contingent recruitment models align recruiters with volume and inflated salary bids rather than performance fit. Because agencies only get paid on hire, they flood hiring teams with resumes hoping one sticks. Vetta operates as a flat software subscription starting at $99/mo with no placement fees, unlimited guest reviewers, and candidates calibrated on STAR-structured outcomes.
Stop Paying 25% Commissions on Every Tech Hire
Explore pre-calibrated engineering and product talent evaluated against verified problems. Month-to-month flexibility with zero contract lock-ins.