Recruitment fee calculator
Compare one hire’s fees three ways, an agency’s percentage, our flat $2,500 and an employer of record’s monthly fee, then again if the first hire leaves.
We have no remote pay band for this role, so the salary is the US median; type the salary you plan to pay.
On $11,400 a year, an agency at 20% charges $2,280: -$220 more than our flat fee.
On $11,400 a year, an agency at 20% charges $2,280: $220 less than our flat fee, which adds a free replacement within 180 days.
If the first hire leaves and you hire again, an agency can cost $2,060 more than us.
For comparison, on a US hire at $76,590 a year the same agency charges $12,818 more than our flat fee.
For comparison, on a remote salary in our band ($11,400 a year) it charges $220 less.
For comparison, on a remote salary in our band ($11,400 a year) it still charges -$220 more.
An agency at 20% of $11,400 charges $2,280. We do not recruit this role ourselves: on Stafka you post the job free, and we find the person or connect you with a vetted partner agency, whose fee is quoted separately.
| Fees for one hire | If they leavein month 3 and you rehire | |
|---|---|---|
| Agency% of salary | $2,280 | $2,280–$4,560 |
| Stafkaonce, 180-day replacement | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| EORemploys someone you found; no search | $7,188of fees in year one | $1,797of fees paid by month 3 |
How we count, and the conditions
The fees are on the salary above. We place remote hires from Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, for example executive assistants at $800–$1,100 a month; on a US salary the agency hire is a different, local hire.
An agency at 20% of $11,400 charges $2,280; we charge $2,500 once for this role.
If the hire leaves after 90 days and you hire again: $4,560 in agency fees and $1,797 of EOR fees already paid for 3 months.
If the hire leaves after 90 days and you hire again: $2,280 to $4,560 in agency fees, depending on whether your agency replaces the hire for free (enter its terms above), and $1,797 of EOR fees already paid for 3 months.
Our free replacement within 180 days. Conditions: one replacement per hire, the fee was paid on time, and the role, hours and pay stay as agreed. Pricing and conditions.
Fees for one hire
- Agency$2,280
- Stafka$2,500
If they leave in month 3 and you rehire
- Agency$4,560
- Stafka$2,500
Agency at the survey median; Stafka with the 180-day replacement.
What the defaults are
The five defaults and their sources
- Agency fee 20%: the median direct-hire fee in a 2021 survey of North American staffing firms by Staffing Industry Analysts1; 42% of firms charged exactly 20%. Typical ranges by segment: commercial staffing 15–20%, professional staffing 18–22%, direct-hire firms 20–25%. The survey does not say whether the percentage is of base pay or of total first-year pay, and it covers neither European agencies nor agencies in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine or Kazakhstan. Enter your own agency’s rate if you have a quote.
- Salary: by default a year at the middle of our own vacancy band for the role ($9,600–$13,200 a year for an executive assistant)2, because that is the hire we make. Switch the basis to the US median, BLS OEWS May 20253 ($76,590 a year for an executive assistant), to see what an agency charges for a local US hire, or type the salary you actually plan to pay.
- Agency replacement period: we found no published source for how long agencies typically replace a hire for free, so until you enter your agency’s terms the calculator shows the second agency fee as a range: none if your agency replaces the hire, a full second fee if it does not.
- Stafka: $2,500 once, paid when the person starts, and a free replacement if they leave within 180 days2. Conditions: one replacement per hire, the fee was paid on time, and the role, hours and pay stay as agreed. Pricing and conditions. This is the price for the 5 roles we recruit ourselves (assistants, customer support, e-commerce, bookkeeping); for other roles on Stafka we find the person or connect you with a vetted partner agency, whose fee is quoted separately. Candidates never pay us. The contract and the salary go directly from you to the person.
- EOR: list prices from Deel, Remote and Oyster456, “from” each provider’s cheapest plan. An employer of record employs a person you have already found; it does not search, so its fee is not a recruitment fee, but it is what many companies compare.
Agency fees by role
At the survey median, the fee on a US salary is several times our flat fee for the roles we recruit. On a remote salary the picture changes: for our own open vacancies the same percentage comes close to the flat fee or below it.
| Role | US median salary | Agency fee at 20% | Minus our fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | $76,590 | $15,318 | $12,818 |
| Administrative Assistant | $47,540 | $9,508 | $7,008 |
| Virtual Receptionist | $38,010 | $7,602 | – |
| Office Manager | $69,500 | $13,900 | – |
| Customer Support Specialist | $44,770 | $8,954 | $6,454 |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | $46,170 | $9,234 | $6,734 |
| Data Entry Specialist | $41,340 | $8,268 | – |
| Bookkeeper | $50,670 | $10,134 | $7,634 |
| Payroll Specialist | $58,260 | $11,652 | – |
| Accountant | $83,680 | $16,736 | – |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | $45,930 | $9,186 | – |
| Paralegal | $62,890 | $12,578 | – |
| HR Assistant | $50,610 | $10,122 | – |
| Recruiter | $75,940 | $15,188 | – |
| Marketing Specialist | $78,760 | $15,752 | – |
| Project Coordinator | $102,320 | $20,464 | – |
| Sales Development Representative | $69,990 | $13,998 | – |
- Executive Assistant: $800–$1,100 a month, so 20% of a year’s pay is $1,920–$2,640.
- Customer Support Specialist: $700–$1,000 a month, so 20% of a year’s pay is $1,680–$2,400.
- E-commerce Order Specialist: $700–$1,000 a month, so 20% of a year’s pay is $1,680–$2,400.
So on a low remote salary a percentage fee can cost less than $2,500. What a flat fee buys there is the 180-day replacement and a price that does not grow with the salary you agree.
If the hire does not work out: fees paid twice
We do not use the often-quoted rule that a bad hire costs “30% of a year’s salary”: it is usually credited to the US Department of Labor without a link, and we could not find the original. The calculator counts only fees you would pay twice. Your own time interviewing, onboarding and the work left undone are real costs too, but they depend on your team, so they are left for you to add.
With an EOR the person is still employed through the provider until they leave, so the fees paid by then are spent; finding the next person is a separate cost.
Questions
How much do recruitment agencies charge?
In a 2021 Staffing Industry Analysts survey of North American staffing firms the median direct-hire fee was 20% of the hire’s salary, and 42% of firms charged exactly 20%.
What does Stafka charge?
$2,500 once, when the person starts, for the remote roles we recruit, with a free replacement within 180 days: one replacement per hire, the fee paid on time, and the role, hours and pay as agreed. Candidates never pay.
Is an employer of record a recruiter?
No. An EOR employs someone you have already found, for a monthly fee (list prices from $599 a month); the search is up to you or a recruiter.
Not legal or financial advice: agency fees and EOR prices are survey medians and list prices; check your own quotes. Corrections: hello@silkstaff.com.
Rates checked 11 Nov 2026.
Sources
6 sources, with links
- Staffing Industry Analysts: Benchmarks: How much do staffing firms typically charge for direct hire? (North America Staffing Company Survey 2021): staffingindustry.com
- Silkstaff pricing: silkstaff.com
- BLS OEWS May 2025, national and state medians by occupation: bls.gov
- Deel pricing: deel.com
- Remote pricing: remote.com
- Oyster pricing: oysterhr.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.