Engineering Hiring Costs by Role
Updated 26 March 2026
Total cost per hire benchmarks for every engineering role. All figures are US market averages. Adjust for your location and hiring method using the calculator.
Junior Engineer (0-2 yrs)
Total cost per hire
$22,000 - $38,000
Salary range
$70,000 - $95,000
Time to fill
25-35 days
Recruiter fee
$10,500 - $17,100
Ramp-up time
3-4 months
Highest volume, fastest fill time, lowest recruiter fee percentage. Employee referrals and bootcamp partnerships reduce cost significantly.
Mid-level Engineer (2-5 yrs)
Total cost per hire
$38,000 - $68,000
Salary range
$105,000 - $145,000
Time to fill
40-55 days
Recruiter fee
$18,900 - $26,100
Ramp-up time
2-3 months
The most competitive tier. Strong GitHub profiles and previous project ownership attract quality candidates. Interview loops of 3-4 rounds are standard.
Senior Engineer (5-10 yrs)
Total cost per hire
$62,000 - $105,000
Salary range
$140,000 - $185,000
Time to fill
55-70 days
Recruiter fee
$28,000 - $37,000
Ramp-up time
1.5-2 months
Passive candidates dominate this market. LinkedIn outreach is essential. Expect 60-70 day fill times and recruiter fees of 20-22% of salary.
Staff Engineer
Total cost per hire
$95,000 - $155,000
Salary range
$185,000 - $250,000
Time to fill
70-90 days
Recruiter fee
$40,700 - $60,000
Ramp-up time
1.5 months
Very thin talent pool. Most staff engineers are not actively looking. Expect to run a 3-4 month search with a specialist recruiter at 22-25% fee.
Principal Engineer
Total cost per hire
$120,000 - $200,000
Salary range
$220,000 - $320,000
Time to fill
80-110 days
Recruiter fee
$55,000 - $80,000
Ramp-up time
1.5 months
Rarest profile. Often requires executive sponsorship of the search. Referrals from your existing engineers are the most effective sourcing channel.
Engineering Manager
Total cost per hire
$78,000 - $140,000
Salary range
$150,000 - $210,000
Time to fill
65-85 days
Recruiter fee
$33,000 - $52,500
Ramp-up time
2 months
Strong demand. Requires both technical credibility and leadership experience. Assess by reviewing how they have grown teams, not just their own coding output.
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