How Much Recruitment Agencies Charge to Place an EA in 2026

Recruitment agencies charge 15 to 25 percent of an executive assistant's first-year salary for a permanent placement in 2026, rising to 25 to 33 percent for retained executive search. On a £50,000 London EA, that's £7,500 to £12,500, payable when the hire starts. Here's what sits behind that number.

Key Takeaways

• UK contingency permanent fees run 15 to 25 percent of first-year salary in 2026, with most placements landing in the 15 to 20 percent band (Recruitly 2026; JR Recruitment 2026).
• Senior and hard-to-fill roles reach 20 to 30 percent, and executive retained search runs 25 to 33 percent (Workers Direct 2026; ON3 Works 2026).
• On a £40,000 placement a 17.5 percent contingency fee generates £7,000; on a £70,000 placement it rises to £12,250 (REC Industry Benchmarking; APSCo Member Survey, via ProPlaybooks 2026).
• Contingency means no hire, no fee, and most fees carry a rebate if the hire leaves within 3 to 6 months (QuickEmployment 2026).
• A bad hire costs at least 30 percent of first-year salary, so the fee buys risk reduction, not just a CV (US Department of Labor, via ON3 Works 2026).

What recruitment agencies charge to place an EA in 2026

The standard contingency fee for a permanent EA placement sits between 15 and 25 percent of first-year salary, with most mainstream office and commercial roles landing in the 15 to 20 percent band (Recruitly 2026; JR Recruitment 2026). The fee is calculated on the candidate's first-year gross base salary, not total package, and it's normally invoiced when the new hire starts, though some agreements trigger on offer acceptance (AESN 2026). For an EA specifically, where you land in that range depends on seniority and how hard the brief is to fill.

Executive assistant salaries in London give the fee its shape. A generalist EA commonly earns £40,000 to £55,000, while a senior EA or EA to a chief executive reaches £55,000 to £75,000 or more, which is the pay a senior EA commands in London. Apply the fee to those figures and the cost becomes concrete.

"On a typical placement of a candidate earning £40,000, a contingency fee of 17.5 percent generates £7,000 in revenue. For a £70,000 placement, the fee rises to £12,250."
- REC Industry Benchmarking Report and APSCo Member Survey, via ProPlaybooks, 2026

What is the standard EA recruitment fee?

The standard fee for a permanent EA hire is 15 to 20 percent of first-year salary on a contingency basis. On a £45,000 EA that's £6,750 to £9,000, and on a £55,000 senior EA it's £8,250 to £11,000, payable once the hire starts (Recruitly 2026; JR Recruitment 2026). Central London office roles with a wide candidate pool can be negotiable towards the lower end, while confidential or C-suite support briefs move higher (QuickEmployment 2026). The percentage is a headline; the model behind it decides what you actually get.

Why do senior EA roles cost more to fill?

Senior EA roles cost 20 to 30 percent because they take more search effort, deeper vetting and often confidentiality. A C-suite EA search involves headhunting passive candidates rather than advertising, since the strongest support professionals rarely apply cold. Hard-to-fill and niche positions reach up to 35 percent (Workers Direct 2026). The extra percentage reflects hours of mapping, screening and reference work that a job advert can't replicate, not a premium for the same service.

Contingency or retained, and which an EA hire needs

Most EA hires run on contingency, the no-hire-no-fee model, while senior or confidential EA searches move to retained. Under contingency the agency works the role at risk and only invoices when a candidate they introduced starts (Mason Bedford 2026). Under retained, part of the fee is paid upfront and at shortlist regardless of outcome, which is why it's reserved for senior or discreet hires.

Retained fees run 25 to 33 percent and are paid in instalments, commonly a third on engagement, a third at shortlist and a third on placement (Mason Bedford 2026; ON3 Works 2026). For most EA appointments, contingency is the right model. For a board-level EA where confidentiality and a guaranteed shortlist matter, retained buys committed capacity. Choosing the model matters as much as the percentage, a point covered in why the wrong agency costs you twice.

Does contingency mean I pay nothing upfront?

Under contingency, you pay nothing until a candidate the agency introduced actually starts the role. The agency carries the full cost and risk of the search, which is why the incentive is speed to placement (Mason Bedford 2026). Retained search is different: a portion is payable upfront and at shortlist stage regardless of outcome, so it's normally used only for senior or confidential EA hires where dedicated time and market mapping justify the commitment.

What the fee actually pays for

The percentage buys sourcing, vetting, negotiation and a replacement guarantee, not a CV forward. Professional recruitment is resource-intensive behind the scenes: database and platform subscriptions, network access, screening and reference checking (Inspire Resourcing 2026). Most permanent fees include a rebate, so if the hire leaves within an agreed 3 to 6 month window the agency finds a replacement at no extra cost

The number to weigh it against is the cost of getting it wrong. A bad hire costs at least 30 percent of first-year salary as a floor, and total replacement cost runs from half to twice annual salary once lost productivity and re-hiring are counted (US Department of Labor and SHRM, via ON3 Works 2026). On a £50,000 EA, a mis-hire can cost £15,000 to £100,000. Set against that, a £7,500 to £12,500 fee for a vetted, guaranteed hire is risk reduction rather than a line item. The value gap between a good and a bad shortlist is why choosing the right EA agency is the decision that sets the true cost.

Are recruitment agency fees negotiable?

Yes, almost always. Agencies routinely move on percentage, rebate terms and payment schedule, particularly where you offer exclusivity or volume (Mason Bedford 2026). A volume discount of 1 to 3 percentage points is reasonable to request if you're placing several roles or committing to the agency across sites (AESN 2026). Established employers with a strong hiring reputation negotiate better rates than start-ups or those with high fallout, because the agency's own risk is lower.

The hidden costs beyond the headline percentage

A low headline fee isn't automatically the cheaper hire once fallout and time-to-fill are counted. A contingency recruiter working ten briefs at once will rationally prioritise the easiest to close, so a cut-price fee can mean less attention on your role (Mason Bedford 2026). The costs that don't show on the invoice are a slow fill, a weak shortlist and a hire that doesn't stick.

Time-to-hire is the clearest of these. UK time-to-hire runs at several weeks, and every extra week is productivity your business isn't getting from the vacant desk. A specialist EA agency with a warm network compresses that stage, which is where a lower-fee generalist often costs more in practice. The invoice is one number; the real cost is the invoice plus the delay plus the risk of a re-hire.

How to Reduce What You Pay a Recruitment Agency

Step 1: Benchmark the fee before you brief. Anchor to the 15 to 20 percent contingency band for a standard EA and 20 to 30 percent for a senior or confidential role, so you know the market rate going in.

Step 2: Offer exclusivity or volume. Commit the role or a run of roles to one agency in exchange for 1 to 3 percentage points off the fee.

Step 3: Negotiate the rebate and payment terms. Agree a longer replacement guarantee and payment on start rather than offer, which lowers your risk at no change to the headline rate.

Step 4: Brief tightly to speed the fill. Give a clear success profile and salary band upfront, because a precise brief cuts time-to-hire and the productivity cost of a vacant EA desk.

Step 5: Weigh fee against fallout, not in isolation. Compare quotes on retention and time-to-fill evidence, since the cheapest headline fee is rarely the cheapest hire once a re-hire is counted.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to hire an EA through an agency in London?

Expect 15 to 25 percent of first-year salary for a permanent EA, which is £6,750 to £11,250 on a £45,000 EA and more for a senior C-suite hire (Recruitly 2026; JR Recruitment 2026). The fee is charged on base salary and invoiced when the hire starts. Senior or confidential briefs move towards 25 to 30 percent.

Is there a fee if the EA doesn't work out?

Most permanent placements include a rebate, so if the hire leaves within an agreed 3 to 6 month window the agency replaces them at no extra cost (QuickEmployment 2026). Always check the rebate length and whether it's a replacement or a partial refund before signing terms, because the cover varies by agency and role.

What's the difference between contingency and retained fees?

Contingency means no hire, no fee, and suits most EA roles at 15 to 25 percent. Retained means part of the fee is paid upfront and at shortlist regardless of outcome, runs 25 to 33 percent, and is reserved for senior or confidential searches (Mason Bedford 2026; ON3 Works 2026). Retained buys committed capacity; contingency shifts the risk to the agency.

Do agencies charge more for a C-suite or board-level EA?

Yes. Board-level and confidential EA searches run 25 to 30 percent or more because they require headhunting passive candidates, deeper vetting and discretion (Workers Direct 2026). These are rarely filled by advertising, so the fee reflects the mapping and screening work involved rather than a mark-up on the same service.

When is the recruitment fee payable?

The fee is normally payable when the new hire starts, though some agency terms trigger on offer acceptance, so read the contract carefully (AESN 2026). Retained arrangements differ, with staged payments due on engagement and at shortlist regardless of whether a hire is made. Confirm the trigger point before you sign terms of business.

About the Author

Julie Jones - julie@morganspencer.co.uk leads senior appointments across HR, training and business support at Morgan Spencer, the London specialist recruitment consultancy. She advises hiring managers on executive assistant and PA recruitment across the City, Canary Wharf and the West End, and has negotiated agency terms and placement structures on both permanent and retained EA mandates. Her focus is matching senior support talent to commercial need at board and executive level.

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