Recruitment Cost in Wellington (2026)
Quick Answer
Partially verifiedIn Wellington, recruitment agency costs are usually charged as a percentage of the successful candidate’s first-year salary for permanent hires, with a common market estimate of around 15% to 25% plus GST. For temporary or contract recruitment, agencies often charge an hourly or daily margin on top of the worker’s pay, with a realistic Wellington estimate of roughly NZD 10 to NZD 35 per hour depending on role level and scarcity. Publicly advertised exact agency fees are uncommon, so many figures below are clearly labelled estimates rather than confirmed provider prices.
Overview
Recruitment costs in Wellington vary more by role type and hiring model than by suburb. For permanent recruitment, employers typically pay a success fee only when a candidate is placed; in the Wellington market this is commonly structured as a percentage of the candidate’s starting salary, with higher percentages for specialist, executive, ICT, policy, engineering and hard-to-fill public sector roles. Entry-level or high-volume office recruitment tends to sit at the lower end of the range, while retained search and senior appointments usually cost more. For temporary and contract hiring, businesses normally pay a charge rate that includes the worker’s pay, holiday pay, KiwiSaver where applicable, ACC-related employment costs, payroll handling and the recruiter’s margin. This means advertised contractor pay rates do not equal the total employer cost. Wellington’s strong government, policy, professional services and technology sectors can push pricing upward for scarce skills, especially when security clearance, procurement knowledge or public sector experience is required. New Zealand does not generally regulate recruiter pricing directly, but employment businesses must still comply with general law and employment standards. Industry participation is often signalled through the Recruitment, Consulting & Staffing Association (RCSA), which operates in New Zealand and publishes guidance and codes relevant to recruitment practice.
What It Costs
| Item | Cost | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent recruitment fee(percent of first-year base salary) Estimated Wellington market range based on common New Zealand recruitment fee structures for contingent permanent hiring; exact public agency fee cards are rarely published. Estimated range | ~NZ$15 – NZ$25 | Estimated range |
| Executive/search recruitment fee(percent of first-year base salary) Estimated range for retained search or senior specialist appointments in Wellington, where executive and scarce-skill searches usually command higher fees than standard contingent recruitment. Estimated range | ~NZ$25 – NZ$35 | Estimated range |
| Temporary/contract recruiter margin(per hour) Estimated recruiter mark-up above worker pay cost for Wellington temp and contract placements; varies by pay rate, assignment length, payroll burden and candidate scarcity. Estimated range | ~NZ$10 – NZ$35 | Estimated range |
| Low-salary example permanent placement(per placement) Illustrative estimate using a 15% to 25% fee on a NZD 60,000 annual salary, a common way Wellington agencies price permanent recruitment. Estimated range | ~NZ$9,000 – NZ$15,000 | Estimated range |
| Mid-salary example permanent placement(per placement) Illustrative estimate using a 15% to 25% fee on a NZD 90,000 annual salary. Estimated range | ~NZ$13,500 – NZ$22,500 | Estimated range |
| GST on recruitment services(percent) GST is generally added to recruitment agency invoices unless stated otherwise. Verified from source | NZ$15 – NZ$15 | Verified from source |
What’s Typically Included
- Candidate sourcing and advertising
- CV screening and shortlist presentation
- Interview coordination
- Reference checking in many cases
- Payroll administration for temp placements in many cases
Common Jobs & Typical Prices
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Regulator / licensing: Recruitment, Consulting & Staffing Association (RCSA)
Variants & Configurations
How Fees Work
Permanent recruitment is usually a success fee calculated as a percentage of first-year salary. Temporary and contract recruitment is more often billed as an hourly or daily charge rate incorporating pay, statutory on-costs and agency margin. Some senior searches use retained or staged fees.
Factors Affecting Price
- Whether the hire is permanent, temporary, contract or executive search
- Candidate salary level and scarcity of the skill set in Wellington
- Public sector requirements such as security clearance, procurement rules or specialist policy experience
- Whether the recruiter works on a contingent success-only basis or a retained/search basis
- Assignment length, payroll complexity and on-costs for temp or contractor placements
Local Context
Wellington recruitment costs are usually quoted in NZD and often shown plus 15% GST. Tipping is not part of business services pricing in New Zealand. Costs can be slightly higher for central government, policy, digital and cleared roles because Wellington is the country’s public-sector hub and competition for experienced candidates can be intense.
Some figures here are still being verified.
Where a verified figure isn’t available yet, we say so rather than guess. For the most current pricing, check the official source below.
All figures are in New Zealand dollars; many recruiter quotes are provided plus GST.
Sources & References
Every price on this page is traced to a documented source. Last checked 24 September 2026.
- Inland Revenue New Zealand - GST · government
Confirms New Zealand GST rate applicable to recruitment services invoices.
- Recruitment, Consulting & Staffing Association (RCSA) · industry
Industry body relevant to recruitment and staffing in New Zealand and Australia; supports the regulator/industry body reference.
- Employment New Zealand · government
General employment compliance context relevant to temp staffing and recruitment operations in New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Wellington recruiters usually charge for permanent staff?+
Most commonly as a percentage of the placed candidate’s first-year salary, invoiced only if the placement is successful. A realistic local estimate is about 15% to 25% plus GST, with senior or niche roles often higher.
Do recruiters in Wellington charge the employer or the candidate?+
For standard business recruitment, the employer usually pays the agency. Charging jobseekers for ordinary placement is not the normal model in New Zealand recruitment.
Are temporary recruitment costs quoted as an hourly fee?+
Usually yes, but the business is typically charged a total hourly rate rather than just the worker’s wage. That rate generally includes the worker’s pay, holiday pay, payroll administration and the recruiter’s margin.
Is GST included in recruitment quotes?+
Not always. In New Zealand, GST is 15%, so many quotes and fee schedules are stated plus GST unless they explicitly say GST included.
Why can Wellington recruitment cost more for some roles?+
Wellington has strong demand for policy, government, technology and professional services talent. Security clearances, public sector experience and scarce specialist skills can all increase the fee or margin.
Can recruitment fees be negotiated?+
Often yes. Employers hiring in volume, filling repeat roles or agreeing exclusivity may be able to negotiate lower percentage fees or more favourable temp margins.
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