Recruiting fee calculator
Recruiter fee calculator: percentage vs flat fee
Enter a salary and the number of hires to see an agency's percentage fee beside our flat fee of $9,900 for a US hire or $3,500 for a Latin America hire, and the salary where the two break even.
A flat fee saves you $6,836.
Break-even salary at this rate: $49,500
Worked examples
Common roles, side by side
Each salary comes from a published source: the BLS median for US roles and the midpoint of a vendor-published band for Latin America roles. The sources are listed under the table.
| Role | Salary | Agency fee | Flat fee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer service representativeUS, agency at 20% | $44,770 | $8,954 | $9,900 | Costs $946 more |
| Bookkeeping clerk | $50,670 | $10,134 | $9,900 | Save $234 |
| Accountant | $83,680 | $16,736 | $9,900 | Save $6,836 |
| Software developer | $135,980 | $27,196 | $9,900 | Save $17,296 |
| Virtual or executive assistant (mid)Latin America, agency at 25% | $25,800 | $6,450 | $3,500 | Save $2,950 |
| Sales development rep (mid) | $27,000 | $6,750 | $3,500 | Save $3,250 |
| Bookkeeper (mid) | $33,000 | $8,250 | $3,500 | Save $4,750 |
| Software engineer (mid) | $63,000 | $15,750 | $3,500 | Save $12,250 |
Sources
- US default agency rate, 20%: Staffing Industry Analysts research, as cited by SPECTRAFORCE (May 14, 2025)
- Latin America default agency rate, 25%: Genius's published direct-hire fee, also the low end of Somewhere's published range
- Customer service representative: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, median pay, May 2025
- Bookkeeping clerk: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, median pay, May 2025
- Accountant: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, median pay, May 2025
- Software developer: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, median pay, May 2025
- Virtual or executive assistant (mid): Midpoint of the $21,600–30,000 band published by Hire With Near (vendor-published)
- Sales development rep (mid): Midpoint of the $24,000–30,000 band published by Hire With Near (vendor-published)
- Bookkeeper (mid): Midpoint of the $30,000–36,000 band published by Hire With Near (vendor-published)
- Software engineer (mid): Midpoint of the $54,000–72,000 band published by Hire With Near (vendor-published)
The arithmetic
How the calculator works
The difference is a saving, or an honest loss.
Agency cost
Salary × rate × number of hires.
Flat fee
$9,900 per US hire or $3,500 per Latin America hire, times the number of hires.
Break-even salary
The flat fee ÷ the rate. At the default rates, $49,500 for US roles and $14,000 for Latin America roles.
The default rates were last checked against their sources on October 2, 2026.
What you get
What the flat fee includes
One price at any salary, with these three things attached.
180 days guarantee
If a hire leaves in that time, we search again at no fee.
First candidates in 5 business days
For a Latin America hire; 10 business days for a US hire. Counted from the kickoff call where we define the role.
Screened before you see them
Every candidate goes through skills and work-sample review first. Latin America candidates also take an English assessment, spoken and written.
When your numbers favor a flat price
$0 up front on a Latin America hire. On a US hire, $500 up front and the rest when the hire starts.