Recruiting · Cost
Cost Per Hire Benchmarks
Recruiting · current reference
$5,475
Average cost per hire · Non-executive, US
Evidence chain
Vintage2025
PublisherSHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)
Definition: SHRM 2025 Benchmarking Survey, n=2,371, fieldwork Jan–Mar 2025
Compare your number
Cost Per Hire Calculator
Compares your cost per hire to the SHRM 2025 average (non-executive vs. executive). SHRM medians are member-gated and not used here — averages only.
Cost Per Hire Calculator
Benchmark Table
Average Cost Per Hire (SHRM 2025)
SHRM 2025 Benchmarking Survey, n=2,371, fieldwork Jan–Mar 2025, excerpt © SHRM. Average, not median.
| Segment | Value | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Non-executive, US | $5,475 | 2025 |
| Executive, US | $35,879 | 2025 |
Denominator: SHRM 2025 Benchmarking Survey, n=2,371, fieldwork Jan–Mar 2025
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Gap honesty
UK: What CIPD Publishes (And What We Don’t Repeat)
Where no verifiable open benchmark exists, we say so — instead of publishing a number that doesn’t hold up.
Median cost-per-hire table (existence + methodology only) · UK, senior vs. other roles, private/public/non-profit
CIPD 2024 Resourcing and Talent Planning, Table 1: median cost-per-hire for senior vs. other roles, broken down by private/public/non-profit sector, with history back to 2011. Respondent caveat stated explicitly: n=246 (senior) / n=207 (other roles). NO £ figures are reproduced here — only the table's existence and methodology were confirmed during sourcing.
Source: CIPD, Resourcing and Talent Planning 2024 (excerpt, © CIPD) · 2024 report (covers 2022 data point; historikk til 2011)
Single-Source Views
Prefer one source at a time? United States (SHRM only) · United Kingdom (CIPD only).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cost per hire in the US?
SHRM's 2025 Benchmarking Survey found $5,475 for non-executive hires and $35,879 for executive hires — averages, not medians (SHRM's medians are member-gated and not reproduced here). Fieldwork January–March 2025, n=2,371 organizations.
Is this an average or a median cost per hire?
Average. SHRM does publish medians, but those are member-gated content and are not used on this site.
Is there a UK cost-per-hire benchmark?
CIPD's Resourcing and Talent Planning 2024 report contains a median cost-per-hire table (senior vs. other roles), but no £ figure from it has been confirmed for open republication — see the dedicated United Kingdom (CIPD) page for exactly what is and isn't known.
How is cost per hire calculated?
Total internal recruiting costs (recruiter time, ATS, etc.) plus external costs (ads, agencies, assessments), divided by total hires in the period — use the calculator above to compare your own number.
Can I see the US and UK figures on their own, single-source pages?
Yes — United States (SHRM only) and United Kingdom (CIPD only) are published as separate pages so the two are never blended into one number.