Cost per hire by industry, 2026 benchmarks.

Tech sits above the national CPH average because engineering loops consume more interviewer hours at higher loaded rates than any other function. A senior software engineer loop runs 20 to 35 panel hours across a 5-round structure, producing $1,750 to $3,000 in interviewer time alone. Add loaded recruiter time, longer time to fill from scarce talent, and higher tooling spend (ATS + assessment + video platform), and the $6,200 average looks conservative. For staff and principal engineer roles, $15,000 to $25,000 per hire is typical.

Healthcare runs below the national average by carrying a different cost profile. Interview loops are shorter than tech (2 to 4 rounds) but external costs are higher: NPI verification, state licensing checks, malpractice screening, credentialing at participating health systems. Background screens alone run $300 to $800 per hire. Time to fill is extended by credentialing, which compounds vacancy cost even though direct spend is moderate. For physicians and advanced practice providers, CPH often runs $8,000 to $15,000.

Finance runs above the national average primarily because base salaries are higher, which inflates both loaded interviewer time and any percentage-based recruiter fees. Compliance screening (FINRA, background checks, credit checks for regulated roles) adds $200 to $500 per hire. Investment banking and trading roles can spike CPH to $15,000 to $40,000 when retained search is used on senior talent. Retail banking and back- office finance sit closer to the $5,900 average.

Manufacturing runs below the national CPH average because interview loops are shorter (often 2 rounds for production and technician roles) and loaded rates on the interviewer panel are lower. External costs are higher than retail because of safety training, skills certification, and physical exams. Specialised manufacturing (semiconductor, pharma manufacturing) runs significantly higher, often $7,000 to $12,000 per hire due to security clearance and specialist skills screening.

Retail and hospitality are the fastest and cheapest hiring categories, running well below the national average. The loop is typically 2 rounds (recruiter screen plus hiring manager interview), often completed same-week. Tooling spend is lower because retail ATS platforms are pay-per-hire or low-seat SaaS. The hidden cost is turnover: a retail chain with 80 percent annual turnover spends significantly more on aggregate recruiting than the per-hire number suggests. Reducing turnover is usually a higher-ROI investment than reducing per-hire cost in these industries.

Energy runs significantly longer time to fill than the national average (67 vs 36 to 48 days) because of security clearance requirements, specialist skills screening, and lower candidate volume in the field. Direct CPH is near the national average, with longer recruiter hours per hire. Vacancy cost is substantial because of the long open period, which is why energy companies often over-invest in in-house sourcing and pipelining.

Nonprofit CPH runs below the national average primarily because lower salary budgets constrain recruiter spend and agency fees. Employer brand and mission alignment often drive inbound candidate flow, reducing sourcing cost. The trade-off is that leadership and fundraising roles take substantially longer to fill (60+ days) because the candidate pool is narrower. Total cost of hire including vacancy is roughly comparable to a for-profit equivalent.

Law, accounting, consulting, and agency work run near the national average because billable-hour dependency makes every day of vacancy expensive. Firms often over-invest in faster loops to protect billable-utilisation targets. Interview loops are moderate (3 to 5 rounds), but seniority spread creates a wide CPH range: entry-level analysts at $3,500, senior consultants at $8,000 to $15,000, partners via retained search at $75,000+.

Education runs well below the national CPH average but with the second-longest time to fill of any industry, after executive search. Academic calendars constrain hiring to specific windows (spring and fall), and credentialing (teaching licenses, background checks) adds 2 to 4 weeks to most searches. K-12 and higher education have different profiles: K-12 runs closer to $3,000 per hire, higher education closer to $5,000 per hire.