Cost Per Hire Calculator
Add up internal and external recruiting costs for a period and divide by the hires you made, to see what each new hire cost.
- Free
- No sign-up to try
- Works as you type
Cost per hire
Cost per hire
$5,000
Total hiring cost
$100,000
External share of the cost
60.0%
- Total hiring cost = internal costs + external costs.
- Cost per hire = total hiring cost ÷ hires.
Free, no sign-up to try. Save it as a live calculator you can share; an estimate from the numbers you enter, not financial advice. Check the result against your own records before you rely on it.
How it works
How the Cost Per Hire Calculator works
- 1
Enter your numbers
Every result updates as you type, with the formula shown under it.
- 2
Check the method
See how each number is worked out and what it assumes.
- 3
Save it as a Room
Share a live calculator: others can change the numbers and see the result update.
Worked example
What it makes
Example inputs
- Internal costs (recruiter pay, interview time, referral bonuses)
- $40,000
- External costs (job ads, agencies, assessments, checks)
- $60,000
- Hires in the same period
- 20
Results
- Cost per hire
- $5,000
- Total hiring cost
- $100,000
- External share of the cost
- 60.0%
How it's calculated
- Total hiring cost = internal costs + external costs.
- Cost per hire = total hiring cost ÷ hires.
- Assumes: Costs and hires cover the same period.
- Assumes: Onboarding and time to productivity after the start date are not included.
An estimate from the numbers you enter, not financial advice. Check the result against your own records before you rely on it.
Who it's for
Who uses it
HR and talent teams
Report cost per hire each quarter on the same basis.
Hiring managers
See what agency fees add to the cost of a role.
Finance
Budget recruiting for next year's hiring plan.
Good to know
What to consider
- Internal costs are easy to miss: include recruiter pay and the interview time of hiring managers.
- Costs after the start date, such as onboarding and time to full productivity, are not included.
Questions
About the Cost Per Hire Calculator
What counts as an internal and an external cost?
Internal costs are what you spend in-house: recruiter pay, interview time, referral bonuses, recruiting software. External costs are paid to others: job ads, agency fees, assessments, background checks and candidate travel.
Can I share the calculator with my team or a client?
Yes. The Room keeps the calculator live: anyone with the link can change the numbers and see the result update, with the method and assumptions on the same page.
Make your calculator now
Free, no sign-up to try. It becomes a Room you can edit, publish and share.
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