Free tool · 2026/27 UK rates
Salary is the number on the job ad. Employer National Insurance, pension, recruitment and management time are the numbers nobody mentions. Enter a salary below and see the real annual cost — then see what the same problem costs to solve with an agent instead.
Advertising, screening and interview time — typically around £3,000 in staff time and job board costs for a direct hire.
Ramp-up time, 1:1s, supervision, and the productivity dip while a new hire gets up to speed — commonly estimated at 15-25% of salary in the first year.
Methodology
This is a planning estimate, not payroll advice — it excludes employer's liability insurance, equipment, statutory sick pay beyond the first weeks, and any bonus or overtime structure specific to your business. Figures are based on 2026/27 HMRC employer NI rates and The Pensions Regulator's auto-enrolment minimums, plus commonly cited UK recruitment-industry cost-per-hire ranges.
Common questions
It's the salary plus employer National Insurance (15% on earnings above £5,000 in 2026/27), a minimum 3% employer pension contribution on qualifying earnings, recruitment costs, and the management time a role takes up. For a typical £35,000 role this usually adds 35-45% on top of salary — often £47,000-£51,000 in total annual cost.
15% on an employee's earnings above the Secondary Threshold of £5,000 a year.
At least 3% of qualifying earnings (the band between £6,240 and £50,270 a year) under UK auto-enrolment. Total minimum contributions, including the employee's share and tax relief, are 8%.
Typically £3,000-£30,000 depending on seniority, sector and method, with recruitment agency fees commonly running 10-25% of first-year salary for permanent roles.
For a task-shaped role — data entry, call handling, quote generation, scheduling — usually yes, once you account for NI, pension, recruitment and management time on the human side. It depends on the work: some roles genuinely need a person. A free 15-minute call is the fastest way to find out which applies to you.
15 minutes. Tell us what you were about to hire for. We'll tell you honestly whether an agent can do it — and what it would actually cost, against what that hire would actually cost.
Book a free 15-min call →No obligation. No hard sell. We'll be honest if it's not the right fit.