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Cost of vacancy calculator.Every empty week has a price.
Show a client what an unfilled role costs them each week, and how much sooner an agency needs to fill it for the fee to pay for itself. Fill it in, copy the link and send it with your proposal.
The role
2–3× is common for revenue-generating roles
Picked up by colleagues
Overtime, temps, freelancers
Time to hire
About $619 for every working day the role stays open.
An agency pays for itself if it fills the role 5.8 weeks sooner than you would.
| Lost output per week | $2,596 |
|---|---|
| Cover costs per week | $500 |
| Total cost of the vacancy | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hiring yourself | $43,34614 weeks open |
| With an agency | $36,5776 weeks open + $18,000 fee |
| Saved with an agency | $6,769 |
How the cost of vacancy is worked out.
Lost output per week is the salary multiplied by the value multiple, divided by 52, less the share of the work colleagues cover while the seat is empty.
Cost per week adds what the client spends on cover: overtime, temps or freelancers. The daily figure divides that by five working days.
Total cost multiplies the weekly cost by the weeks the role stays open. With an agency, the fee is added on top. The agency pays for itself if it fills the role sooner by at least the fee divided by the weekly cost.
The value multiple is an estimate, not a measurement. Use the client’s own revenue per head where you can, and keep the assumptions visible when you share the result.
How do you calculate the cost of a vacancy?
Estimate the value the role creates in a year, take off the share of the work colleagues cover while it’s empty, and divide by 52 for a weekly figure. Add anything you spend on cover, such as overtime, temps or freelancers. Multiply by the weeks the role stays open.
What multiple of salary should I use?
Many businesses use two to three times salary for roles that generate revenue directly, such as sales, fee-earning or billable roles, because those roles have to cover their own cost and contribute profit. For support roles, use a lower multiple or rely on cover costs and the knock-on effect on the team. If your client knows their revenue per employee, use that instead.
How do agencies use this with clients?
Fill in the client’s role, copy the link and send it with your proposal. It turns the fee conversation into a comparison: what the empty seat costs each week, and how many weeks sooner you need to fill it for the fee to pay for itself.
Doesn’t hiring in-house cost something too?
Yes: advertising, job board fees and the time managers spend sifting and interviewing. This calculator leaves those out, so it understates the in-house cost. If you know the client’s internal hiring costs, add them to the comparison yourself.
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