What headhunters actually charge (and what you're paying for)
Headhunting fees range from 15% to 30% of salary. Here's how the pricing works, what affects the number, and when it's worth paying.
The short answer
Most headhunters charge 15-30% of the hired person's annual salary. For a role paying 60,000 a year, that's 9,000-18,000. The exact number depends on how hard the role is to fill and how much work the headhunter actually does.
That sounds like a lot of money. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it's a bargain. Here's how to tell the difference.
How the three fee models work
Percentage of salary (most common)
You pay a percentage of the hire's first-year salary once they start. Nothing upfront. If the headhunter doesn't find someone, you pay nothing.
Typical rates: 15-20% for junior roles, 20-25% for mid-level, 25-30% for senior and executive positions. The percentage goes up because harder searches take more time and expertise.
Flat fee
A fixed price regardless of the salary. Less common but sometimes used for volume hiring or roles where the salary is standardized. You know exactly what you'll pay, which makes budgeting easier.
Retainer model
You pay a portion upfront (usually a third), another third when candidates are presented, and the final third when someone is hired. This model is mostly used for C-level and very senior searches where the headhunter commits significant resources.
The retainer model means you're paying even if the search doesn't result in a hire. In exchange, you get dedicated attention and usually a more thorough process.
What actually affects the price
How hard is the role to fill?
A senior machine learning engineer in Helsinki is harder to find than a marketing coordinator. The headhunter has to reach out to more people, have more conversations, and spend more time qualifying candidates. That costs more.
How fast do you need someone?
Urgent searches mean the headhunter needs to drop other work and focus on yours. Some firms charge a premium for rush searches. Others just prioritize paying clients, which means your "standard" search might take longer.
What's included beyond finding candidates?
Some headhunters just send you CVs. Others do deep screening, skill assessments, reference checks, salary negotiation, and onboarding support. The more they do, the more they charge - but the more they do, the less likely you are to make a bad hire.
When headhunting is worth the fee
Headhunting makes financial sense when:
The role is hard to fill. If you've had a job ad up for 2 months with no good applicants, you're already losing money. A headhunter actively goes after people who aren't looking at job boards.
A bad hire is expensive. For senior roles, a bad hire can cost 6-12 months of salary when you factor in onboarding, lost productivity, and starting the search over. Paying 25% for the right person is cheaper than paying 100% for the wrong one.
You don't have time to do it yourself. Running a proper search takes 20-40 hours. If your time is worth more than the headhunter's fee, outsource it.
You need access to passive candidates. The best people for most senior roles aren't applying to jobs. They need to be found and convinced. That's what headhunters do.
When it's not worth it
Don't use a headhunter for roles where you'll get plenty of good applicants from a job posting. Junior roles in popular fields, roles in big cities with lots of talent, positions at companies with strong employer brands - you can probably fill these yourself.
Also skip it if you're not actually ready to hire. If your job description is vague, your budget isn't approved, or you're "just exploring" - you'll waste the headhunter's time and possibly still owe fees.
What to ask before signing
Before you agree to work with a headhunter, get clear answers on these:
- What's the guarantee period? Most offer 3-6 months. If the hire leaves within that window, you get a replacement search or a refund. Get this in writing.
- What does the process look like? How many candidates will they present? What's the timeline? How do they screen people?
- Have they filled this type of role before? Ask for examples. A headhunter who specializes in your industry or function will work faster and better.
- What happens if they can't fill it? With contingency (percentage) models, nothing - you don't pay. With retainer models, you might lose your upfront payment.
The real cost of not using one
The comparison isn't headhunter fee vs. zero. It's headhunter fee vs. the cost of your time, the cost of a vacant role, and the risk of a bad hire. For a senior role paying 80,000 that takes 3 months to fill, the cost of vacancy alone (lost output, overtime for the team) is often more than the headhunter's fee.
Do the math for your specific situation. Sometimes posting on LinkedIn is enough. Sometimes paying a professional is the cheaper option.