Agency vs In-House
At what hire volume does in-house win? Total-cost comparison at 5, 10, 20, and 50 engineering hires per year, including loaded recruiter cost, sourcing-tool seats, and ATS spend.
| Annual hires | Agency total | In-house total | In-house per-hire | Delta | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 engineers / year | $130,000 | $175,000 | $35,000 | +$45,000 | Agency |
| 10 engineers / year | $260,000 | $200,000 | $20,000 | -$60,000 | In-house |
| 20 engineers / year | $500,000 | $320,000 | $16,000 | -$180,000 | In-house |
| 50 engineers / year | $1,150,000 | $705,000 | $14,100 | -$445,000 | In-house |
Agency assumed at 18-20% contingency on $130k average base. In-house fixed includes recruiter loaded cost ($120-180k at scale) plus sourcing-tool seats and ATS.
Inside the numbers
Hybrid (most common at scale)
Most engineering orgs at 15+ hires per year run hybrid: in-house team owns junior, mid, and high-volume roles; contingency or retained agencies handle senior, staff, principal, and rare-skill searches. Typical blended cost: $8-15k per hire.
The calculator lets you swap channels and salary to see where your team's break-even falls.