There is no verified Refery earnings dataset behind a claim about what an independent recruiter “typically” makes. A more useful starting point is your own collected fees, the share you keep, and the costs of doing the work.
Correction: An earlier version presented earnings tiers, placement volumes, and comparison figures as partner data or industry benchmarks. Those claims have been withdrawn. Every calculation below is an illustration, not observed income or an earnings promise.
Start with collected revenue, not introductions
For each eligible hire, calculate:
First-year base salary × client fee percentage × partner share = gross partner fee
Then add the fees actually collected across your placements. Introductions, interviews, and accepted offers are not the same as cash received. Check the payment trigger and any adjustments in your agreement.
Refery’s client fee is 15% to 25% of first-year base salary. Independent recruiters, operator scouts, and TA partners each earn 70% of the collected placement fee on eligible hires they originate. Attribution, payment timing, and the effect of the client’s 90-day guarantee follow the applicable agreement. Client fees · Partner recruiter terms overview.
One salary, three fee assumptions
These examples use a $200,000 first-year base salary. They are not salary benchmarks or a quote.
| Client fee rate | Collected placement fee | Partner share at 70% |
|---|---|---|
| 15% | $30,000 | $21,000 |
| 20% | $40,000 | $28,000 |
| 25% | $50,000 | $35,000 |
The percentage alone does not tell you expected earnings. A 70% share applies to the placement fee, not the candidate’s salary.
Model volume without pretending it is typical
At the middle example above, each eligible, collected placement produces $21,000 in gross partner fees. Two such placements would produce $42,000; four would produce $84,000.
Those are arithmetic scenarios. They do not establish how many roles will be available, how many you will fill, or when payment will arrive. Include a zero-placement scenario when planning your runway.
Build a worksheet with one row per search: role fit, agreed fee, candidate status, expected start, client collection, partner payment, and any unresolved attribution issue. Update it from actual events.
Compare ways of working on the same basis
A direct client can pay you the whole fee, but you also own business development, contracting, collections, and delivery. A marketplace or network takes a share in exchange for the services stated in its agreement. An employed recruiter’s package may combine salary, benefits, and commission.
Do not compare gross self-employed fees with an employee’s take-home pay. List the costs and risks separately: tools, sourcing, administration, unpaid time, canceled searches, and taxes. Get advice suited to your circumstances before making tax or employment decisions.
What to confirm before accepting a search
- The client fee basis and your share.
- What counts as an eligible introduction and how duplicates are resolved.
- When the client is invoiced, when collection occurs, and when you are paid.
- What happens if the search pauses or the hire leaves.
- Whether outside work or other platform activity conflicts with your existing agreements.
A platform managing invoices does not eliminate payment risk. A large advertised role count does not prove those searches fit your specialty.
How Refery fits
Refery is a startup recruiting network for VC-backed Seed to Series B companies hiring Engineering, AI, and GTM talent. Specialist independent recruiters work alongside founder, operator, and investor referral sources.
Use the marketplace evaluation checklist to compare the actual work and terms. If that focus fits yours, apply to the partner network.
For where those placements come from, and what each network pays, see recruiting networks and marketplaces for independent recruiters.