How much a freelance recruiter makes comes down to three numbers: the salaries you recruit for, your fee percentage and how many placements you make. A recruiter placing ten candidates a year on £45,000 salaries at a 20% fee bills £90,000 before costs. Place two a year and it’s £18,000. Six figures is very possible, but it’s a numbers game, not a salary.
That’s why I’m not going to quote you an “average freelance recruiter salary”. Salary sites will give you one, but freelancers don’t earn a salary, and an average across someone placing two people a year and someone placing twenty tells you nothing. The maths is more useful.
Freelance recruiters earn through placement fees, retainers or day rates, rather than a salary.
| Model | How it works | What it means for your income |
|---|---|---|
| Contingency | Usually 15 to 25% of the candidate’s first-year salary, paid when they start | Big fees, but lumpy and unpredictable |
| Retained | Part of the fee upfront, the rest on placement | Steadier cash flow, harder to win at first |
| Day rate or monthly fee | Paid for your time on sourcing, screening or ongoing hiring | Predictable, but capped by your hours |
Most freelancers start on contingency and add retained or monthly work as their reputation grows. There’s more on setting fees in how to price recruitment fees.
More on this: what to put in a freelance recruiter contract.
Your yearly billing is average salary x fee percentage x number of placements. Play with those three numbers and you’ll see where your income really comes from.
| Average salary | Fee | Placements a year | Billing before costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £35,000 | 18% | 8 | £50,400 |
| £45,000 | 20% | 10 | £90,000 |
| £60,000 | 20% | 10 | £120,000 |
| £80,000 | 25% | 6 | £120,000 |
These are examples, not promises. But they show why specialists in higher-salary niches tend to earn more for the same amount of work: one placement on an £80,000 role is worth more than two on £35,000.
Billing isn’t take-home pay. Costs, tax and the wait to get paid all come out first.
These are the costs that surprise people:
And remember the timing. A placement might take a couple of months to land, and clients often pay 30 to 60 days after the start date.
Your niche, your network, your fee level and how much of your week goes on admin make the biggest difference.
To bill six figures, you need either more placements, bigger salaries or a higher fee, and usually a bit of all three. For an experienced recruiter bringing a network, it’s realistic. For someone new to recruitment, it’s unlikely in year one.
For more on growing billings, read how to grow recruitment revenue.
Freelance income is lumpy, so plan for it.
It varies hugely, because freelancers earn fees, not a salary. A recruiter making ten placements a year on £45,000 salaries at a 20% fee would bill £90,000 before costs and tax. Two placements a year at the same rate would be £18,000.
Usually 15 to 25% of the candidate’s first-year salary on a contingency basis. Retained searches often charge a similar total fee, with part paid upfront. Day rates and monthly fees are agreed case by case.
No. Freelance recruiters earn from placement fees, retainers or day rates. Some contract for agencies or in-house teams on a day rate, which gives steadier income but less upside than winning your own clients.
It can be, because you keep the whole fee rather than a commission split. But you also pay all your own costs, carry all the risk and have no salary to fall back on. It suits experienced recruiters who can win their own clients.
Your first placement can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on your network. Then clients often pay 30 to 60 days after the start date. Plan for three to six months of savings before income becomes steady.
Job boards, LinkedIn, insurance, an accountant, legal checks on your terms, software, marketing, and rebates if a candidate leaves early. Plus tax, which you need to set aside from every invoice.
Freelance recruiters can earn very well, but there’s no average that tells you what you’ll make. Work out your own maths: the salaries you recruit for, your fee and how many placements you can realistically make. Then keep your costs and admin down, and keep the business development going.
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