Fees & Terms
Australian recruitment agency fees for permanent roles generally run from 10% to 25% of first-year package. The percentage alone does not tell you the cost. Compare the calculation basis, search method, guarantee and payment terms. My rates are published at 13%, 15% and 17%, with the same stated basis at every seniority level.
Updated September 2026
Three models, three flat rates. If you want how the three models actually differ, I've written that up separately.
| Engagement type | My published rate |
|---|---|
| RetainedOne third payable at commencement of the search, two thirds after the candidate starts. | 13% flat |
| Exclusive contingentSole agency for an agreed period. Nothing payable unless I place the role. | 15% flat |
| Non-exclusive contingentThe role can run with other agencies. Nothing payable unless I place the role. | 17% flat |
| Fixed fee or adjusted terms | Open to a fixed fee or adjusting terms, but only on multiple placements. |
All three of my models carry the same 6-month replacement guarantee, conditional on payment within terms. Every rate above is flat, calculated on base salary plus superannuation plus car allowance, excluding GST, with no minimum fee.
Every fee is flat and calculated on base plus super plus car allowance, never on OTE.
My fee is calculated on base salary plus superannuation plus car allowance. Never on OTE. That basis does not change with the model, the seniority of the role, or how the commission plan is written.
It matters because sales roles carry a lot of money outside base. A commission-heavy role can sit $40,000 or more above base once on-target earnings are counted. The same percentage quoted on OTE is charging you for money the candidate has not earned yet, and it costs you materially more than the same percentage on base.
So the question to ask any agency before you sign is not what the percentage is. It is what exactly sits inside the basis. Base only, base plus super, base plus super plus car, or total package including commission and bonuses. Get the answer in writing on the terms, not in the conversation.
My terms are on this page, the basis is stated, and you can put both against whatever else you are quoted.
No minimum fee, seven day terms, and a 6-month replacement guarantee on every Specified Select placement.
Those rates work for any role at any level. Put a salary through the recruitment fee calculator and it will show you exactly what the placement costs on each of the three models, on the same basis I invoice on.
Open the recruitment fee calculatorThe fee is a percentage of base salary plus superannuation plus car allowance only. Commission, bonuses and other benefits are excluded from the calculation. Fees are ex-GST, with GST added on top. There is no minimum fee.
Where the car allowance or super rate isn't confirmed at the time of invoice, I use $20,000 for the car allowance and 12% for super. Where actuals are known, actuals are used.
From 1 July 2026 the superannuation guarantee is calculated at 12 per cent of qualifying earnings, replacing ordinary time earnings as the base, under the Payday Super changes. My fee terms are a separate contractual calculation. For this example, the contract uses a $14,400 super input, 12% of the $120,000 base, plus a $20,000 car allowance. That produces a $154,400 fee base and a $23,160 fee at 15%, plus GST. This is a fee-base example, not a payroll calculation.
I'll be honest: there are a couple of very long-standing clients who probably kept me in a job in my early days. I've never adjusted their fees, and I have no intention of changing or raising terms for any client I'm working with.
Australian agency fees for permanent roles generally run from 10% to 25% of first-year package. The calculation basis can move the invoice as much as the percentage does, so ask what the fee is applied to. Mine are published at 13% retained, 15% exclusive contingent and 17% non-exclusive contingent, calculated on base plus super plus car allowance only.
Base salary plus super plus car allowance only. Commission, bonuses and benefits are excluded. Ex-GST, no minimum fee.
That depends on the role, the market and how scarce the profile is, and it's exactly what the 15-minute conversation is for. The page can tell you the price of each model. It can't tell you which one fits. That's a judgment call, and I'd rather make it with you.
Every Specified Select placement is covered by a 6-month replacement guarantee. The 6-month replacement guarantee is identical across all three models, retained, exclusive contingent and non-exclusive contingent, and is conditional on payment within terms.
Specified Select's published rates: 13% retained, 15% exclusive contingent, 17% non-exclusive contingent. The rates are flat at every seniority level and calculated on base salary plus superannuation plus car allowance only, ex-GST, with no minimum fee.
Seven days. The retained schedule is one third at commencement, two thirds after the candidate starts.
Across permanent recruitment, published percentages generally sit between 10% and 25% of first-year package. Mine are 13% retained, 15% exclusive contingent and 17% non-exclusive contingent, calculated on base plus super plus car allowance.
Mine are calculated on base salary plus superannuation plus car allowance, never on OTE. That matters because a commission-heavy sales role can carry an OTE $40,000 or more above base, so the same percentage quoted on OTE produces a materially larger invoice. Ask any agency exactly what sits inside the basis before you sign.
Guarantees vary between agencies, so check how long it runs, whether it is a refund, a credit or a replacement search, and whether it depends on paying within terms. Mine is six months on every model, conditional on payment within terms.
Published terms vary. From 1 July 2026 the superannuation guarantee is calculated at 12 per cent of qualifying earnings, replacing ordinary time earnings as the base, under the Payday Super changes. Agency terms can define a separate contractual fee base, so check the contract and payroll treatment separately. Mine uses base salary plus super plus car allowance and excludes commission and bonus.
Recruitment fees may be quoted exclusive of GST where that treatment is stated clearly. Convert every quote to the same GST basis before comparing it. Mine are quoted ex-GST, with GST added on top.
Read what triggers the clause as well as its duration, because the signed terms control when a fee becomes payable. Mine is twelve months from introduction.
Use the broader 10% to 25% range as context, then compare the calculation basis, search scope, guarantee and ownership terms. Mine remains 13%, 15% or 17%, depending on the model.
Fifteen minutes on your role, and I'll tell you which model I'd run and why. No pitch.
Prefer to read more first? How I work with hiring managers.