Fees & Terms
Most recruiters won't publish their fees, because the rate you're quoted often depends on how hard you'll negotiate. Mine don't work that way. Here they are, in full.
Updated July 2026
Three ways to work with me. The fee is flat at every seniority level. No banding, no "from" pricing, no quiet loading for senior roles.
Retained
13%
One third payable at commencement of the search, two thirds after the candidate starts. My most committed search, at my lowest rate.
Exclusive contingent
15%
Sole agency for an agreed period. Nothing payable unless I place the role.
Non-exclusive contingent
17%
Running alongside other agencies. Nothing payable unless I place the role.
| Retained | Exclusive contingent | Non-exclusive contingent |
|---|---|---|
| 13% | 15% | 17% |
| One third payable at commencement of the search, two thirds after the candidate starts. My most committed search, at my lowest rate. | Sole agency for an agreed period. Nothing payable unless I place the role. | Running alongside other agencies. Nothing payable unless I place the role. |
| All three models: six-month replacement guarantee on every placement, conditional on payment within terms. | ||
My rates are published: 13% retained, 15% exclusive contingent, 17% open contingent.
These are specialist agency rates for sales roles. Broader market pricing, including volume and executive search, runs wider and is covered in the FAQ below.
| Engagement type | My published rate | Typical specialist agency |
|---|---|---|
| Retained | 13% flat | 25% to 33% |
| Contingent (exclusive) | 15% flat | 15% to 25% |
| Contingent (open) | 17% flat | 15% to 25% |
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.
I am not going to characterise how anyone else prices. 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 six month replacement guarantee.
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.
Say you hire a BDM on a $120,000 base with a $20,000 car allowance. Base $120,000 + super at 12% ($14,400) + car allowance $20,000 = $154,400. On exclusive contingent terms at 15%, the fee is $23,160 plus GST. That's the whole calculation. Nothing else goes into it.
Most agencies quote a percentage and leave the calculation basis vague. The basis moves the invoice more than the percentage does.
Take the same BDM, and add $30,000 of expected commission at target.
An agency quoting 15% calculated on total package including commission works from $184,400. The fee is $27,660.
My 17% non-exclusive rate, calculated on base plus superannuation plus car allowance only, works from $154,400. The fee is $26,248.
The 17% quote is $1,412 cheaper than the 15% quote. A lower percentage on a wider basis costs more than a higher percentage on a narrow one.
Before you engage anyone, ask what exactly the fee is calculated on and whether commission is included, whether the rate is ex-GST, how long the replacement guarantee runs, and whether it is a replacement search or a credit rather than a refund.
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 sales roles generally run 10% to 25% of first year package. Below 10% is rare and usually volume or RPO arrangements. Above 25% is usually executive retained search. Most agencies won't publish where they sit in that range. Mine are published: 13% retained, 15% exclusive contingent, 17% non-exclusive contingent, flat at every seniority level.
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.
Six-month replacement guarantee on every placement, identical across all three models, conditional on payment within terms.
Seven days. The retained schedule is one third at commencement, two thirds after the candidate starts.
Specialist agency fees for permanent sales roles in Australia typically run 15% to 25% contingent and 25% to 33% retained. Volume, RPO and executive search sit outside that band and price differently. My published rates are 13% retained, 15% exclusive contingent and 17% open contingent, flat at every seniority level.
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.
Across the Australian market, replacement guarantees commonly run from 4 weeks to 6 months, and most are a replacement search rather than a cash refund. Mine is a six-month replacement guarantee on every placement, identical across all three models, conditional on payment within terms.
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.