Estimate what it really costs when someone leaves. Add exit, recruiting, onboarding, vacancy and ramp-up costs for the role to get the cost per departure, the annual cost of turnover and the saving from keeping more people.
Last updated:
The role
$
% of salary
Employer health insurance, retirement match, payroll taxes. 25-40% is common in the US.
For the annual cost. Use departures in this role or across a group with similar pay.
%
Shows the annual saving if fewer people left.
Separation
$
Exit interview and admin time, final pay processing, any severance or outplacement.
Recruiting
$
$
For example 15-25% of first-year salary if you use an agency.
h
$
Loaded hourly cost of the managers and staff who screen and interview.
$
$
Onboarding & training
$
h
$
Lost productivity
weeks
%
Work that simply does not get done. Lost output is valued at the loaded salary.
$
months
%
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Cost of Employee Turnover Calculator
Enter the salary and benefits load of the role, plus how many people leave per year.
Add separation and recruiting costs: exit admin, ads, agency fees, interview hours and checks.
Add onboarding costs: training, materials and the hours a trainer or mentor spends.
Estimate lost productivity: weeks vacant, how much work goes undone, and the ramp-up period.
Press Calculate turnover cost to see the cost per departure, annual cost and savings.
Turnover cost formula
Cost per departure = separation + recruiting + onboarding & training + vacancy cost + ramp-up loss
Loaded salary = salary × (1 + benefits %)
Vacancy cost = weeks vacant × weekly loaded salary × % of work not covered + overtime or temp cover
Ramp-up loss = months to full productivity × monthly loaded salary × (1 − average ramp-up productivity)
Annual cost = cost per departure × departures per year
Example with the default numbers: a $55,000 role with 30% benefits has a loaded cost of $71,500 ($1,375 a week). Recruiting costs $1,620, onboarding $3,300, six vacant weeks with half the work uncovered cost $4,125 plus $1,200 of overtime, and four months of ramp-up at 50% lose $11,917. With $500 of exit costs the total is about $22,662 per departure, or 41% of salary.
Typical inputs by role type
Role type
Weeks vacant
Months to full productivity
Recruiting
Entry-level hourly
2-4
1-3
Low: job boards, short interviews
Skilled / professional
5-10
3-6
Moderate: several interview rounds
Senior / specialist
8-16
6-12
High: often agency or search fees
These are planning ranges, not benchmarks. Use your own time-to-fill data from your applicant tracking system when you have it.
Ways to reduce turnover cost
Shorten time-to-fill with a ready pipeline and quick interview scheduling; vacancy weeks are often the largest cost.
Invest in structured onboarding so new hires reach full productivity sooner.
Use exit and stay interviews to find fixable reasons people leave, such as pay, scheduling or management.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the cost of employee turnover?
Add up everything a departure costs: separation (exit admin, severance), recruiting (ads, agency fees, interview time, checks), onboarding and training, lost output while the job is vacant, and the lower productivity of the new hire while they ramp up. Multiply the cost per departure by the number of leavers per year for the annual cost.
How much does it cost to replace an employee?
Estimates commonly range from a fraction of annual salary for hourly roles to more than a full year's salary for senior or specialist roles. The range is wide because vacancy length, agency fees and ramp-up time vary so much, which is why it is worth calculating with your own numbers.
How is lost productivity valued?
This calculator values lost output at the fully loaded salary (salary plus benefits): the work not covered while the job is vacant, plus the share of a full output the new hire does not yet deliver during ramp-up. For example, 4 months at 50% productivity loses 2 months of loaded salary.
What is the difference between hard and soft turnover costs?
Hard costs are cash you pay out: ads, agency fees, background checks, sign-on bonuses, training courses and overtime. Soft costs are time and output: interview hours, mentoring time, unfilled work and ramp-up. Soft costs are often larger but less visible in the budget.
Should the cost of a counteroffer or rehire be included?
If you regularly backfill with temporary staff, rehire former employees or pay retention bonuses, add those amounts to the cover or exit cost fields so the estimate reflects your real practice.
How can I use this with the turnover rate?
Work out your turnover rate first (separations ÷ average headcount), then multiply the headcount by that rate to get leavers per year and enter it here. Reducing turnover by even a few people often saves more than the cost of retention programs.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.