Time-to-Fill Cost Calculator

What time to fill costs and how this is calculated

Time to fill is the number of days from when a role opens, usually the first posting or the approved requisition, to when a candidate accepts the offer. It is broader than time to hire, which starts the clock when a candidate enters the pipeline. The 2025 SHRM Recruiting Benchmarking Report puts the average time to fill in the United States at about 44 days, and a healthy target is under 30 days for generalist roles and under 60 for specialist or leadership roles. The longer a role sits open, the more it costs.

The cost-of-vacancy method

Cost of vacancy is the daily value of the role multiplied by the days it stays open, net of the pay and benefits you are not paying while the seat is empty. This tool offers two ways to set the daily value. The revenue basis divides annual revenue by headcount and then by working days to get an average daily value per employee, then adjusts it with a role impact multiplier. The salary basis sets the daily value as a multiple of the role's own pay. Both are recognized approaches; use whichever fits your business.

Choosing the multiplier

The multiplier is where judgment enters. As a starting point, SHRM and Gallup research commonly places the full cost of a vacancy at roughly half to two times the role's annual salary, higher for revenue-generating roles such as sales, which can run three to five times. Support roles sit at the low end, senior and revenue roles at the high end. Set the multiplier to reflect how much this specific role drives, then revisit it as you learn more.

Why this is a baseline

The figure here is deliberately conservative because it counts only output value against pay saved. It does not put a number on delayed projects, the strain on the team covering the work, lost momentum, or customer impact, all of which grow the longer a role is open. Read the result as the minimum a vacancy is costing you, and a reason to keep time to fill short.

Why does the calculator subtract the salary I save?

Because while the role is empty you are not paying that salary or its benefits, so the honest, net cost of the vacancy is the value lost minus the pay saved. For lower-value roles the two can nearly cancel out, which is why the real cost of those vacancies shows up in soft factors rather than dollars.

What is a good time to fill?

It varies by role and industry. A common benchmark is under 30 days for generalist roles and under 60 for specialist or leadership roles, against a 2025 national average near 44 days. Skilled trades, healthcare, and senior roles routinely run longer.

Revenue basis or salary basis, which should I use?

Use the revenue basis when you can tie output to company revenue and want a top-down number. Use the salary basis for support or overhead roles where revenue attribution is hard. The two reconcile: the value multiplier is roughly your revenue per employee divided by the role's salary.

Is this financial advice?

No. It is a planning estimate built on a widely used method. The value of a role is a judgment call, so treat the result as a defensible baseline and confirm the assumptions for your business.