Cost per Hire and Time to Fill: 2026 Benchmarks for Employers
The latest SHRM and BLS numbers on hiring cost, time to fill and pay, and why specialized improvement roles break from the averages.
JIT Recruiting · Updated November 13, 2026 · 3 min read- SHRM’s 2025 benchmark puts the median cost per hire at $1,200 for nonexecutive roles and $10,625 for executive roles.
- SHRM’s 2026 benchmark puts the median time to fill a nonexecutive role at 39 calendar days.
- For specialized improvement roles, the bigger cost is usually the savings you don’t capture while the seat is empty.
Before you budget for a Lean or Six Sigma hire, it helps to know what hiring costs in general, and where specialized roles break from the averages. Here are the most current national numbers and how to use them.
The national benchmarks
| Measure | Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median cost per hire, nonexecutive | $1,200 (2025) | SHRM 2025 recruiting benchmark |
| Median cost per hire, executive | $10,625 (2025), up 113% since 2017 | SHRM 2025 recruiting benchmark |
| Median time to fill, executive | 45 days (2025), down from 60 in 2022 | SHRM 2025 recruiting benchmark |
| Median time to fill, nonexecutive | 39 calendar days (2026) | SHRM 2026 recruiting benchmark |
SHRM gathered the 2025 data from 2,371 members, and its 2026 benchmark draws on more than 4,600 organizations. These are medians across all kinds of roles, so they’re a starting point, not a quote for your search.
The costs benchmarks leave out
Cost-per-hire figures count recruiting spend: ads, agency fees, recruiter time and tools. They usually don’t count:
- Hiring manager time spent screening and interviewing.
- The vacancy itself: projects that don’t start, savings that don’t get captured, overtime others absorb.
- A bad hire: the cost of restarting the search, plus the damage a poor fit can do to an improvement program’s credibility.
Why specialized roles differ
Lean and Six Sigma roles often take longer than average to fill, for three reasons:
- The best people aren’t looking. Strong practitioners are busy delivering results, so job postings miss them.
- Certificates don’t separate candidates. Many applicants hold the same belt; screening for real results takes expert interviews.
- Demand is growing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 12% employment growth for industrial engineers from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, and 10% for management analysts. Process improvement talent sits squarely in that market.
The BLS reports median annual pay of $102,440 for industrial engineers and $101,860 for management analysts as of May 2025, a useful reference point when you set a salary range.
Do the math for your role: if a Black Belt is expected to deliver a set amount of savings per year, divide by 12. That’s roughly what each month of vacancy costs, before any recruiting spend.
How to reduce time and cost
- Scope the role first. Decide the belt level and the problems the person will own. Our belt guide helps.
- Set the salary range with data before you start, so you don’t lose finalists at the offer stage.
- Keep the interview process tight. Three focused steps beat six loose ones. See our interview guide.
- Go direct to passive candidates rather than waiting for applicants.
- Use a specialist when the role is critical or an internal search has stalled.
FAQ
Why is executive cost per hire so much higher?
Executive searches typically involve retained recruiters, longer processes and more people involved in the decision. SHRM’s data shows executive cost per hire has more than doubled since 2017.
How should we measure our own cost per hire?
Add up internal recruiting costs (recruiter and manager time, tools) and external costs (ads, agency fees, assessments), then divide by the number of hires in the same period.
How long will our Lean Six Sigma search take?
It depends on seniority, location and how specialized the skills are. We set a realistic timeline with you during the intake call.
Sources: SHRM 2025 Recruiting Benchmarking data brief; SHRM 2026 recruiting benchmarking; BLS, Industrial Engineers; BLS, Management Analysts.
