💰 MOAT Tool — Benchmarked
AI Hiring Cost Calculator
Calculate the true cost of hiring your next employee — including hidden costs most SMBs miss. Compare in-house recruiting vs. agency vs. freelancer for your specific role.
Most SMBs underestimate by 40%
Based on 5,000 hiring analyses, the average SMB spends $4,200 to fill a marketing role and $6,800 for engineering — but typically budgets 40% less. Hidden costs: interviewer time, onboarding overhead, and productivity ramp add up fast.
👤 Role & Hiring Details
Calculating hiring costs…
Benchmarking against 5,000 hiring analyses
About Hiring Costs
What hidden hiring costs do SMBs most often miss?
The four most-missed costs: (1) Interview time — a 5-person interview panel × 3 rounds × 1 hour each = 15 manager-hours per finalist, often worth $1,500+. (2) Onboarding time — 40-80 hours of senior employee time in the first 90 days. (3) Productivity ramp — new hires typically reach 75% productivity at 60 days and full productivity at 120-180 days. (4) Failed hire cost — if a hire doesn't work out in 90 days, you restart and add 1.5-2x the original cost.
Is a recruiting agency worth the 20% fee?
Often yes, for 3 reasons: speed (agencies fill roles 2-3x faster), quality of shortlist (good agencies pre-screen so you only meet qualified candidates), and market access (agencies know passive candidates who aren't on job boards). The math: a $80K role filled 2 months faster means 2 months of productivity gained — often worth more than the $16,000 agency fee. Where agencies fail: junior roles with high applicant volume (where job boards work), and companies that don't clearly define what they're looking for.
How long does it take to fill a role?
Based on hiring data: junior/admin roles average 25-35 days. Mid-level individual contributors: 45-60 days. Senior/specialized roles: 60-90 days. Executive roles: 90-180 days. Remote roles fill 15-25% faster than on-site roles. The biggest variable is recruiter capacity — if you're hiring on top of a full-time job, add 30-50% to these estimates.