Tech Hiring Costs by Role
Security engineers and senior SREs are the most expensive tech roles to hire, costing 42-77% of annual salary. Frontend engineers and UX designers are the most cost-efficient at 33-53%. Below is a complete comparison of hiring costs across 26 tech roles, grouped by discipline, with salary benchmarks, total cost ranges, time-to-fill data, and talent scarcity ratings.
The cost-to-hire-as-percentage-of-salary ranges from 33% (frontend engineers) to 80% (CISOs). The difference is driven primarily by candidate scarcity, which increases both time-to-fill and recruiter fee premiums. AI/ML specialists at 89-day average fill times now represent the longest search in tech, surpassing even CISO searches in some markets.
Engineering
Software engineering roles make up the highest volume of tech hiring. Cost varies significantly by seniority -- a staff engineer costs 60-70% more to hire than a mid-level engineer, driven by retained search fees and longer fill times.
| Role | Median Salary | Total Hiring Cost | % of Salary | Days to Fill | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend Engineer | $135,000 | $44K-$62K | 33-46% | 42 | |
| Backend Engineer | $150,000 | $50K-$70K | 33-47% | 48 | |
| Fullstack Engineer | $145,000 | $48K-$68K | 33-47% | 50 | |
| Mobile Engineer | $148,000 | $51K-$72K | 34-49% | 55 | |
| Software Engineer (Mid) | $145,000 | $52K-$72K | 36-50% | 52 | |
| Senior Engineer | $185,000 | $68K-$95K | 37-51% | 65 | |
| Staff Engineer | $225,000 | $85K-$120K | 38-53% | 75 | |
| Engineering Manager | $195,000 | $72K-$100K | 37-51% | 60 |
DevOps & Infrastructure
Infrastructure roles consistently rank among the hardest to fill. Cloud certification requirements, on-call expectations, and deep systems knowledge create narrow candidate pools. Remote hiring can reduce costs by 20-30%.
| Role | Median Salary | Total Hiring Cost | % of Salary | Days to Fill | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DevOps Engineer | $150,000 | $61K-$90K | 41-60% | 60 | |
| SRE | $185,000 | $78K-$115K | 42-62% | 75 | |
| Platform Engineer | $155,000 | $62K-$88K | 40-57% | 58 | |
| Cloud Architect | $175,000 | $72K-$105K | 41-60% | 65 |
Data & AI
The AI talent premium is reshaping this entire category. Traditional data science roles have stabilised, but AI/ML specialists command 30-50% salary premiums and take 89 days on average to hire -- the longest fill time in tech.
| Role | Median Salary | Total Hiring Cost | % of Salary | Days to Fill | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $155,000 | $62K-$85K | 40-55% | 62 | |
| ML Engineer | $170,000 | $72K-$100K | 42-59% | 68 | |
| Data Engineer | $145,000 | $52K-$72K | 36-50% | 50 | |
| AI/ML Specialist | $195,000 | $88K-$130K | 45-67% | 89 |
Product & Design
Product and design roles have broader candidate pools than engineering, but interview processes are often longer (5-7 stages for PMs). Design roles benefit from a strong contract-to-hire tradition that can reduce risk.
| Role | Median Salary | Total Hiring Cost | % of Salary | Days to Fill | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Manager | $130,000 | $48K-$80K | 37-62% | 48 | |
| Senior PM | $165,000 | $62K-$95K | 38-58% | 58 | |
| UX Designer | $110,000 | $37K-$58K | 34-53% | 38 | |
| Product Designer | $125,000 | $42K-$65K | 34-52% | 42 |
Security
Cybersecurity has a global workforce gap of 4.8 million professionals (ISC2 2024). Every security role commands premium recruiter fees, and the average fill time for security architects and CISOs exceeds 70 days.
| Role | Median Salary | Total Hiring Cost | % of Salary | Days to Fill | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Engineer | $155,000 | $65K-$120K | 42-77% | 65 | |
| Penetration Tester | $130,000 | $55K-$90K | 42-69% | 58 | |
| Security Architect | $185,000 | $80K-$130K | 43-70% | 72 | |
| CISO | $250,000 | $120K-$200K | 48-80% | 90 |
What Drives Hiring Cost Differences Between Roles
Candidate Scarcity
Roles with fewer qualified candidates (security, AI/ML, senior SRE) command higher recruiter fees and take longer to fill. A 5-rated scarcity role costs 40-60% more to hire than a 2-rated role at the same salary level.
Assessment Complexity
Data science take-home projects add 1-2 weeks and increase candidate dropout. Security clearance checks add weeks. PM case studies require 5-7 interview stages. Longer processes mean higher dropout rates and more restarts.
Seniority Premium
Senior roles compound every cost: higher salary increases percentage-based recruiter fees, longer fill times increase vacancy cost, and more experienced interviewers cost more per hour. A VP-level search often costs 3-4x a mid-level hire.
Specialisation Depth
Generalist roles (fullstack, general PM) have broader candidate pools. Deep specialisations (distributed systems, computer vision, penetration testing) require niche recruiters charging 25-30% and have fill times 30-50% longer than generalist equivalents.
Role Deep Dives
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tech role is the most expensive to hire?
Security engineers and CISOs are the most expensive tech roles to hire, with total hiring costs reaching 45-77% of annual salary. A mid-level security engineer at $155,000 salary costs $65,000-$120,000 to hire, driven by extreme talent scarcity (4.8 million global workforce gap), specialised assessment requirements, and average fill times of 65-90 days. AI/ML specialists are a close second at 89-day average fill times.
What drives the cost difference between tech roles?
Four factors drive cost differences: candidate scarcity (security and AI/ML roles have severe supply shortages), time-to-fill (longer searches mean higher vacancy costs), specialised assessment requirements (data science take-home projects, security clearance checks), and recruiter fee premiums (specialised recruiters charge 25-30% vs 15-20% for common roles).
Which tech role is the cheapest to hire?
QA engineers and UX designers are among the most cost-efficient tech hires. UX designers at $110,000 median salary cost $37,000-$58,000 to hire (34-53% of salary) with 38-day average fill times. QA engineers have even lower absolute costs due to lower salaries and broader candidate pools. Frontend engineers are the most cost-efficient engineering hire.
How does seniority affect tech hiring costs?
Seniority dramatically increases hiring costs in two ways: higher base salaries increase percentage-based recruiter fees, and senior roles take 30-50% longer to fill, increasing vacancy costs. A staff engineer at $225,000 may cost $85,000-$120,000 to hire versus $52,000-$72,000 for a mid-level engineer at $145,000. Director and VP roles often require retained search firms charging 25-35% of salary.