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SEE EXACTLY WHAT WORK REALLY COSTS

Bad Hire Cost Calculator

The real price of a mis-hire. Salary, lost productivity, recruiting, and team drag — all of it.

≈ $7,083 / month
1 mo24 mo
How productive were they really?
BREAKDOWN
Salary paid$42,500
Productivity gap$25,500
Recruiting$63,750
TOTAL BAD HIRE COST
$131,750.00
$42,500
SALARY PAID
$25,500
PRODUCTIVITY GAP
$63,750
RECRUITING
18.6
MONTHS OF SALARY
This bad hire cost you 18.6 months of salary
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How much does a bad hire really cost?

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates a bad hire costs at least 30% of the employee's first-year earnings. For senior roles, studies put it closer to 213%. This calculator includes every cost most companies never add up: salary paid during underperformance, the productivity gap, interview time, onboarding, manager hours, team disruption, and the cost of starting the search over. The number is almost always larger than you expect.

Frequently asked questions

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates a bad hire costs at least 30% of the employee's first-year salary. For a $75,000 role, that's $22,500 at minimum. When you include lost productivity, manager time, team disruption, and rehiring costs, the real number is typically 1–2x annual salary for mid-level roles and up to 213% for executive hires.