What It Costs

Pricing, posted in public.

Most recruiting agencies hide their fees behind a “request a proposal” form. We don’t. Every fee for every engagement is on this page. Pick what fits, sign the agreement, and we start the search.

Posted Fees

Net 15 Terms

60–90 Day Guarantee

No Hidden Costs

Side By Side

Pick the one that fits.

All four engagements at a glance. Different models for different hiring needs.

Flat-Fee

Contingency

Priority Partner

Executive

Fee

$6,500–$18,000+

18–20%

$1,500/mo + 12%

$18,000 or 22–25%

Guarantee

60 days

90 days

Best for

One-off hires

Senior or hard-to-fill

Ongoing volume

Director / VP roles

Predictability

Highest

Variable

Highest at scale

High

Commitment

Per search

3 / 6 / 12 months

Per search, exclusive

Exclusivity

Non-exclusive

Exclusive during term

Exclusive

/ 01Tier One

Priority Partner.

Monthly retainer plus reduced placement fee. Built for companies hiring four or more technical roles a year. The retainer credits toward placement fees — it’s not added cost.

Monthly Retainer

$1,500/mo

Credited toward that month’s placement fees. Charged on the 1st via Stripe or ACH.

Recommended

Placement Fee

12%

Of first-year base salary. Versus 18–20% standard contingency — 6–8 points saved on every hire.

Term options: 3, 6, or 12 months.

Replacement guarantee: 90 days on every placement.

Unlimited active searches during the term.

Exclusive partner for manufacturing and engineering roles during the term.

— Savings vs. Standard 20% Contingency

Candidate Salary

Standard 20%

Partner 12%

You Save

$85,000

$17,000

$10,200

$6,800

$100,000

$20,000

$12,000

$8,000

$120,000

$24,000

$14,400

$9,600

The retainer is credited. Every $1,500/month payment is applied toward that month’s placement fees. It is not an added cost — it secures priority capacity, dedicated search, and the reduced 12% rate on every hire.

Explore the Priority Partner program →

/ 02Tier Two

Flat-Fee Direct Hire.

A fixed fee per role tier. No percentage math. No surprises when the candidate accepts higher than expected.

Role Level

Examples

Flat Fee

Skilled Trades

5-Axis CNC Programmer, Industrial Maintenance Tech, TIG Welder, CMM Programmer

$6,500

Engineer / Quality / Operations

Automation Engineer, Quality Engineer, Process Engineer, Operations Manager

$9,500

Supervisor / Lead / Sr. Specialist

Production Supervisor, Continuous Improvement Manager, Quality Manager (AS9100)

$12,000

Director / VP / Executive

Director of Operations, VP of Manufacturing, Plant Director, GM

$18,000+

Payment: Invoice issued on candidate start date, net 15.

Replacement guarantee: 60 days for tiers 1–3. 90 days for Director / VP / Executive.

/ 03Tier Three

Performance Contingency.

Traditional contingency. You pay only when our candidate starts. Aligned incentives, fast turnaround, non-exclusive.

18–20%

Of First-Year Base

Default rate: 20%. Reduced rates available based on role volume and search complexity.

Payment: Invoice issued on candidate start date, net 15.

Replacement guarantee: 90 days from start date.

Non-exclusive: Work with us alongside other channels.

/ 04Tier Four

Director, VP & Executive.

Senior leadership runs on a different model. Two engagement structures, agreed in writing before search begins. Exclusive engagement, 90-day guarantee, confidential off-market sourcing.

Option A

Flat Engagement

$18,000 for Director-level roles in the $130K–$160K base salary range.
Payment structure: 50% at search engagement, 50% on candidate start date.
Best for: Director searches with defined comp ranges and moderate complexity.

Option B

Retained Engagement

22–25% of first-year base salary for VP and Senior Director roles or base above $160K.
Payment structure: 1/3 at engagement, 1/3 at qualified slate, 1/3 at placement.
Best for: Executive searches requiring extensive off-market sourcing and confidentiality.

Both options include exclusive engagement during the search, 90-day replacement guarantee, and confidential off-market sourcing. Custom terms available on request.

FAQ

Questions hiring managers ask.

If yours isn’t answered here, ask us directly.

Why are your fees lower than other agencies?

Two reasons. First, we use AI to automate the back-office work that traditionally requires a full operations team — admin, scheduling, document generation, market data, reporting. That savings goes to you. Second, we focus exclusively on manufacturing, so we don’t carry overhead of supporting twenty industries. Lean operation, focused expertise, fees that reflect both.

Why flat-fee instead of percentage?

Predictability and aligned incentives. You know the cost of the hire before the search starts, and we get paid the same whether your engineer accepts at $80K or $95K. We work to find the right person at the right comp — not the most expensive person we can place.

Are the fees negotiable?

Flat fees are firm. Contingency rates can move within the 18–20% range based on role volume and search complexity. Director / VP / Executive engagements are scoped per search. Need negotiated terms? That’s what the Priority Partner program is for — pricing and terms there are scoped to your hiring volume.

What’s included in the fee?

Sourcing, screening, candidate management, offer negotiation, replacement guarantee. We don’t bill for travel, advertising, background checks, or anything else. The fee on this page is the fee you pay.

Net 15 — what does that mean?

Standard B2B payment. The invoice is due 15 days after issue date. Invoices issue on the candidate’s start date.

Do you offer payment plans?

Standard searches are paid in full on net 15. Director / VP / Executive engagements are structured as milestone payments by default. Custom payment terms can be negotiated for Priority Partner clients case-by-case.