UK Executive Search Fee Index
The median published figure in the UK Executive Search Fee Index is 30 percent across 5 sources' own pages (range 10 to 30 percent), read 11 November 2026.
5 of the 41 named sources read in full publish a figure; 36 publish none, read 11 November 2026.
The median is unchanged since 18 October 2026 (was 30 percent across 5).
Every figure, with its source
One row per published figure: the figure as the source's own page publishes it, the page, and the day it was read. A figure that is not on a page we read is not on this one.
| Source | Figure | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Headhunters fee negotiations | 30 % | 2026-11-11 |
| MSC Headhunters fee structure | 30 % | 2026-11-11 |
| Executive Headhunters: typical headhunter fees | 30 % | 2026-11-11 |
| Ten Percent Legal Recruitment fees | 18 % | 2026-11-11 |
| Valuable Recruitment: what executive search costs | 10 % | 2026-11-11 |
The sentence each figure was read from (5)
- Eagle Headhunters fee negotiations, read 2026-11-11:
At Eagle Headhunters we also charge 30% but only have two stages – the retainer fee and the final fee.
- MSC Headhunters fee structure, read 2026-11-11:
Industry-standard fees, structured with clarity. The industry standard for executive search is 25–30% of total package.
- Executive Headhunters: typical headhunter fees, read 2026-11-11:
A typical Headhunter fee will be more like 30% of first year salary with the fees broken down into instalments, usually 3 stages:
- Ten Percent Legal Recruitment fees, read 2026-11-11:
Permanent Recruitment 18% fees based on the first year salary or package.
- Valuable Recruitment: what executive search costs, read 2026-11-11:
At Valuable Recruitment, executive search is a retained engagement typically priced at 10% to 15% of the placed candidate's first-year base salary.
Read in full, publishes no figure
36 named sources were read in full on the dates shown and print no usable figure. They are counted, never filled in.
- Ten Percent Financial Recruitment fees, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Valuable Recruitment: recruitment agency fees, read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Nurole: find your solution, read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Nurole pricing guide, read 2026-11-11: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- Boardio pricing, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Reach Volunteering: when and what we charge, read 2026-10-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- Paul Harper Search: how a search works, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Executive Recruitment: guide to UK executive search costs, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Executive Headhunters FAQ, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- MERJE: how much does executive search cost, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Richmond Capital: retained vs contingent costs, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Mason Bedford: what a UK recruitment agency charges, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Matrix Personnel: recruitment agency fees UK, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Quick Employment: UK recruitment agency cost guide, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- HVAC FM Recruitment: UK recruitment cost breakdown, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Michael Page employer centre, read 2026-11-11: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- Perrett Laver services, read 2026-10-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- MRG on the CCS recruitment framework, read 2026-09-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- Hireful pricing, read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- The Pensions Regulator FOI: permanent recruitment fees, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- CCS RM6290 Executive and Non-Executive Recruitment Services, read 2026-09-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- headhunters.co.uk headhunter costs guide, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Chameleon i: UK agency pricing models, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- On3 Works: UK recruitment agency fees, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- FutureFill: UK agency fee breakdown, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Glozo: recruiting fees 2026, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Recruitly: recruitment agency fees 2026, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Fractional Quest: UK executive search firms compared, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- KI Talent: executive search fees, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- JRG Partners: retained search pricing, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Cowen Partners: two types of search firm fees, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Hunter Recruiting: what search firms charge, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- The Good Search: search firm pricing, read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Pyck: executive search fees, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- Ikon Search: CEO recruiter pricing, read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- Staffing Advisors: what search firms charge, read 2026-11-11: every candidate on the page was refused
Methodology
Every row is a verbatim sentence read from the named source's own page through our fetch service on the date shown, hash-pinned to the stored read (the sha of the page's visible text; the raw page is mirrored to R2).
5 of the 41 named sources that could be read published a usable figure; 36 published none and are recorded as not published, never filled in; 0 could not be read (blocked, dead or unreachable) and count nowhere.
The headline figures (median, minimum, maximum, quartiles) are over ONE figure per source in % (a source's median where its page yielded several accepted sentences), so N counts sources, never sentences; 396 candidate sentence(s) were refused by a reviewer with the reason recorded.
The fuller derivation this dataset is chartered to grow into (not yet what the figures above are; they are each source's own published figure as read): the distribution of PUBLISHED UK search fees - the median, low and high percentage, what base it is taken on (first-year base salary versus total first-year compensation, which is the difference nobody prices out), the instalment pattern, the minimum fee floor and the rebate window - computed across every UK firm that publishes one, beside the share of the market that publishes NOTHING, which is the finding this index exists to produce: how many named UK firms quote only on request, and how a stated percentage converts to pounds at each salary band once the base and the minimum fee are applied
396 candidate sentences on these pages were refused by a reviewer; each refusal and its reason is recorded in the review ledger.
Sources (41)
- Eagle Headhunters fee negotiations(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- MSC Headhunters fee structure(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Ten Percent Legal Recruitment fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Ten Percent Financial Recruitment fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Valuable Recruitment: recruitment agency fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Valuable Recruitment: what executive search costs(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Nurole: find your solution(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Nurole pricing guide(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Boardio pricing(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Reach Volunteering: when and what we charge(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Paul Harper Search: how a search works(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Executive Recruitment: guide to UK executive search costs(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Executive Headhunters: typical headhunter fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Executive Headhunters FAQ(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- MERJE: how much does executive search cost(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Richmond Capital: retained vs contingent costs(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Mason Bedford: what a UK recruitment agency charges(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Matrix Personnel: recruitment agency fees UK(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Quick Employment: UK recruitment agency cost guide(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- HVAC FM Recruitment: UK recruitment cost breakdown(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Michael Page employer centre(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Perrett Laver services(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- MRG on the CCS recruitment framework(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Hireful pricing(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- The Pensions Regulator FOI: permanent recruitment fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- CCS RM6290 Executive and Non-Executive Recruitment Services(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- headhunters.co.uk headhunter costs guide(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Chameleon i: UK agency pricing models(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- On3 Works: UK recruitment agency fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- FutureFill: UK agency fee breakdown(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Glozo: recruiting fees 2026(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Recruitly: recruitment agency fees 2026(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fractional Quest: UK executive search firms compared(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- KI Talent: executive search fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- JRG Partners: retained search pricing(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Cowen Partners: two types of search firm fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Hunter Recruiting: what search firms charge(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- The Good Search: search firm pricing(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Pyck: executive search fees(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Ikon Search: CEO recruiter pricing(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Staffing Advisors: what search firms charge(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
Cite or embed this figure
The median published figure in the UK Executive Search Fee Index is 30 percent across 5 sources' own pages (range 10 to 30 percent), read 11 November 2026.
5 of the 41 named sources read in full publish a figure; 36 publish none, read 11 November 2026.
The median is unchanged since 18 October 2026 (was 30 percent across 5).
Cite as: "executivesearchfees.co.uk UK Executive Search Fee Index", updated 2026-11-13, https://executivesearchfees.co.uk/datasets/uk-executive-search-fee-index/.
Download the CSV (5 rows, computed 2026-11-13)
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Questions this data answers
What does a UK executive search or recruitment firm charge to fill a senior role - percentage of what, in how many instalments, with what minimum fee and what rebate?
The median published figure in the UK Executive Search Fee Index is 30 percent across 5 sources' own pages (range 10 to 30 percent), read 11 November 2026.
Where do the figures in the UK Executive Search Fee Index come from?
Every figure is quoted from its source's own page and dated (last read 11 Nov 2026). 41 named sources were read and 5 publish a figure; the 36 that publish none are recorded as not published, never estimated.