Cost & Pricing
The True Cost of an In-House Hire vs a Dedicated Remote Employee
Salary is just the start. Here is everything that goes into the true cost of a hire — and how a dedicated remote employee compares.
The true cost of an in-house vs remote employee goes far beyond salary. In-house hires add recruitment fees, benefits, payroll taxes, office space, equipment, software, training and management overhead. A dedicated remote employee through a staffing partner bundles most of these into one monthly fee, often making the total cost substantially lower.
Costs of an in-house hire
| Cost item | Typical examples |
|---|---|
| Recruitment | Agency fees, job ads, interview time |
| Salary | Base pay and bonuses |
| Benefits and taxes | Health cover, pension, payroll taxes |
| Workspace | Desk, rent, utilities |
| Equipment | Laptop, monitors, software licences |
| Onboarding | Training time, lost productivity |
| Turnover | Re-hiring when people leave |
Costs of a dedicated remote employee
- One monthly fee covering salary, benefits, equipment, workspace and HR.
- Your management time.
- Tools and licences specific to your business.
Hidden costs to include
- Time to hire — months without the role filled cost revenue.
- Bad hires — replacing someone is expensive.
- Scaling — local hiring is slow to scale up or down.
How to compare fairly
List every cost for one year for both options, including your time. Then compare output and flexibility, not just price.
