Free career tool

Cost of Vacancy Calculator

An open seat is not free. Work slows, overtime climbs and good people burn out covering for it. Estimate the daily cost of a vacancy, the hidden cost of a bad hire, and what filling the role faster could save.

Free Best Jobs Pro tool

Lost output while the seat is empty-

Potential savings filling it faster-

Cost per open day-

Internal hiring time-

Cost of a bad hire (est.)-

Total in-house cost-

Cost per open day = pay × output multiplier ÷ 260 working days. Bad-hire estimate uses 30% of first-year pay, the figure the U.S. Department of Labor has cited. Savings exclude agency fees, which depend on the role and arrangement. Ask us for a quote.

How the Cost of Vacancy Calculator works

Cost per open day is the role's annual pay times its output multiplier (what that person produces relative to their pay), spread over 260 working days.

Vacancy cost multiplies that by the working days the seat stays empty. We add the cost of your team's time spent hiring.

The bad-hire figure uses 30% of first-year pay, the estimate the U.S. Department of Labor has cited. Agency fees vary, so they are not included; ask us for a quote.

Tips from our recruiters

Start recruiting before someone leaves when you can; notice periods are short.
A clear job posting with pay listed attracts better-fit applicants faster.
Temp-to-hire lets you test fit on the job and lowers the risk of a bad hire.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cost of vacancy?

It is the value of the work that does not get done while a position is unfilled, plus related costs like overtime for coworkers and the time spent recruiting.

How much does a bad hire cost?

The U.S. Department of Labor has estimated a bad hire can cost at least 30 percent of the employee's first-year earnings, before counting lost productivity and morale.

How can a staffing agency reduce hiring costs?

An agency like Best Jobs Pro keeps a pool of screened candidates, handles sourcing, interviews, background checks and drug screening, and can often fill roles faster, which shortens the vacancy and reduces the risk of a bad hire.