How Much Does Indeed Job Posting Cost?

Our data shows Indeed remains the largest global job board, listing roughly three million openings on any given day. Because the platform blends free listings with pay-to-boost options, actual cost varies sharply from one employer to the next. Misreading the pricing model can waste ad budget and slow hiring.

The expanded guide below explains every direct and indirect fee tied to posting on Indeed—covering free basics, sponsored strategies, pay-per-click (PPC), pay-per-application (PPA), and the unseen expenses that hit once the campaign is live.

Article Insights

• Free Indeed posts cost $0 but fade in search fast.
• Sponsored daily budgets begin at $5, with $0.10–$5.00 per click or $15 (≈1 hour of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour)–$50 (≈3.3 hours of labor required at $15/hour) per application.
• Average small-business spend: $150 (≈1.3 days of continuous work at a $15/hour job)–$300 (≈2.5 days of labor continuously at a $15/hour wage) monthly; agencies exceed $5,000 (≈1.9 months of your working life at $15/hour).
• Precision titles and screening questions cut wasted spend by up to 30 %.
• Recruiter time and ATS fees can double ad cost—factor labor into ROI.
• Disable auto budget increases to avoid surprise charges.
• Use Indeed promo credits and seasonal lulls to test paid ads at lower rates.

How Much Does Indeed Job Posting Cost?

Indeed costs spans from $0, which usually disappear fast, up to $300 to $5,000 (≈1.9 months of your working life at $15/hour) per month.

Indeed splits payment into three main buckets: free, PPC, and PPA. Free listings cost $0 but usually lose first-page placement within 24–48 hours, especially in dense metro labor markets. Employers chasing steady visibility assign a daily budget for sponsored jobs—minimum $5, no formal maximum. Indeed’s algorithm spends that amount only when candidates click the ad.

Typical PPC campaigns consume $0.10–$5.00 per click. Low-skill warehouse roles in rural areas sit near $0.25, while senior cloud-engineer openings in Silicon Valley frequently land around $3.50. Pay-per-application debuted in 2023: employers set a target range; Indeed displays an estimated $15 (≈1 hour of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour)–$50 (≈3.3 hours of labor required at $15/hour) per started application, then charges only for leads not manually rejected within 72 hours.

Average monthly spend lines up like this: micro-businesses start at $150 (≈1.3 days of continuous work at a $15/hour job)–$300 (≈2.5 days of labor continuously at a $15/hour wage), midsize firms hover $600 (≈1 week of salary time at $15/hour)–$1,200 (≈2 weeks dedicated to affording this at $15/hour), and national staffing agencies often exceed $5,000 (≈1.9 months of your working life at $15/hour) when they manage dozens of listings across states.

There are several reputable sources that detail the current costs for posting jobs on Indeed in the US, and the pricing can vary depending on whether you choose a free or sponsored listing, as well as the specific payment model Indeed is using for your post.

CareerCloud explains that posting a job on Indeed is free for basic listings, allowing employers to reach candidates without cost. However, for greater visibility, employers can opt for sponsored job posts, which now operate on a "Price Per Application" (PPA) model. The typical cost per application ranges from $15 to $50 (≈3.3 hours of labor required at $15/hour), depending on the job type, location, and historical hiring data. Employers only pay for applications that meet their preset criteria, and can set a daily budget anywhere from $5 up to $499 (≈4.2 days of consecutive work at a $15/hour job) per day for sponsored listings.

Workable notes that Indeed's sponsored job postings can also use a pay-per-click (PPC) model, with costs ranging from $0.10 to $5 per click. This means you are charged each time a job seeker clicks on your posting, regardless of whether they apply. Employers can set their own daily budget to control spending, and the higher the cost per click, the more visible the ad becomes.

Recooty confirms that free job postings are available, but to boost visibility, you can sponsor a job post with a daily budget starting at $5.00 per day, or about $150 (≈1.3 days of continuous work at a $15/hour job) per month. The PPC model deducts from your budget as job seekers click on your sponsored posts.

Capterra provides a comprehensive breakdown, stating that sponsored job posts require a minimum spend of $5 per day or $150 (≈1.3 days of continuous work at a $15/hour job) per month. For businesses with higher volume hiring needs, Indeed offers a Professional plan at $400 (≈3.3 days of your career at $15/hour) per month, which includes unlimited job postings and advanced features. Cost per click for sponsored jobs can range from $0.10 up to $5 or more, depending on competition and industry.

Job Today reiterates that while free listings are available, paid posts start at $5 per day or $150 (≈1.3 days of continuous work at a $15/hour job) per month for increased visibility. The total cost depends on the exposure level, number of posts, and the number of applicants targeted.

ShiftNow mentions that sponsored job listings start at $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage) per application, and subscription plans for broader access to candidate databases and hiring tools begin at $120 (≈1 day working for this purchase at $15/hour) per month.

100Hires also states that sponsored job posts start at $5.00 per day, with the option to set a daily or total budget cap, giving employers control over their spending.

Real-Life Cost Examples

Local Café in Ohio – Owner set a $5/day PPC for barista roles. Over 14 days, her ad generated 210 clicks at $0.34 each, totaling $71.40 (≈4.8 hours that you sacrifice at a $15/hour job). She interviewed nine candidates and hired two.

Regional HVAC Contractor – Paid $30 (≈2 hours of labor required at $15/hour) per qualified application using PPA for certified technicians. Ten accepted applications in one week ran $300 (≈2.5 days of labor continuously at a $15/hour wage). Four hires lowered cost-per-hire to $75 (≈5 hours of labor required at $15/hour)—under the firm’s previous newspaper ad rate ($120 (≈1 day working for this purchase at $15/hour) per hire).

Tech Staffing Agency, Seattle – Sponsored 12 software-developer jobs at $50 (≈3.3 hours of labor required at $15/hour)/day each. Average click bid settled near $2.80. After 30 days, spend reached $18,200 (≈6.9 months working without a break on a $15/hour salary) for 6,500 clicks, 380 applications, and 31 placements, equating to $587 (≈4.9 days of desk time at a $15/hour wage) cost-per-hire before recruiter salaries.

Cost Breakdown

Daily budget feeds into Indeed’s real-time auction. If you cap at $15, spending halts once clicks drain the allowance, pausing exposure until midnight.

Resume contacts cost $3–$10 when direct-messaging passive candidates. These micro-fees mount quickly in tight labor pools.

Paid badges (“Urgently Hiring,” “Responsive Employer”) can be toggled on some accounts for $15–$25 weekly and slightly raise click-through rate—small but measurable in large campaigns.

Factors Influencing the Cost

Industry & Role: High-turnover hospitality posts run cheap. Cyber-security positions in large cities trigger higher click fees as rivals outbid to appear first.

Location Targeting: Metro markets with dense competition inflate CPC by up to 300 % versus rural zip codes.

Time of Year: January hiring spikes push CPC and PPA rates up 15–20 %. Summer slowdowns often reveal promo credits from Indeed.

Job Ad Quality: Clear titles like “Registered Nurse – Night Shift” outperform vague ones, improving relevancy score and lowering cost per click by 10–30 %.

You might also like our articles about the cost of LinkedIn Recruiter, H&R Block, or hiring a headhunter.

Budget Size: Larger daily caps allow the algorithm to place ads higher, but they also burn funds quickly if screening questions are weak.

Alternative Job Boards & Comparisons

LinkedIn runs a higher auction: average $6–$9 per click on U.S. salaried roles, with pay-per-send options at $1.50 per InMail.

ZipRecruiter sells subscription tiers (one seat $299/month; power user $599/month). Good for mass distribution but less granular ad control.

Monster offers three plan levels: starter $279, standard $399, premium $649—each covers one post for 30 days and limited resume views.

Indeed’s on-demand budget keeps entry barriers low; employers pause without penalty—flexibility unmatched by monthly-lock competitors.

Ways to Spend Less

Tighten screening. Add must-have questions that auto-reject unqualified applicants within 72 hours to avoid PPA charges. Average savings: $60–$180 per campaign.

Reuse optimized headlines. A/B tests prove switching “Administrative Assistant” to “Office Administrator – Quick Start” lifted qualified clicks by 22 % at the same bid.

Pause evenings. Some firms suspend ads 1 a.m.–5 a.m. local time, cutting wasted clicks from disengaged browsers and reducing daily spend by 10 %.

Start free for entry-level openings; only sponsor if applicant flow drops below five per day.

Expert Insights & Tips

Iria Marcel-Dozier, Talent Acquisition Lead, Solstice Foods “Set PPC bids $0.10 below Indeed’s suggested top range. Watch for two days—if impressions stay high, you just saved 15 % of your budget.”

Tadeusz Kunz-Allary, HR Tech Analyst, Atlas Metrics “PPA is ideal when interview-to-hire ratios are tight—think CDL drivers or licensed electricians. Paying $30 for a certified application beats $3 for ten random clicks.”

Andressa Fiorin-Toth, Staffing Agency Founder, BlueRidge Recruiters “Dump underperforming roles after seven days. Refreshing the listing date costs nothing and often spikes free traffic before you resume paid promotion.”

Total Cost of Ownership

Recruiter labor is the hidden giant. Reading 100 resumes at five minutes each equals 8.3 hours. At $30/hour, that’s $249 on payroll—often larger than ad spend.

Small firms without an Applicant-Tracking System sign up for basic ATS plugins ($50–$120/month) to manage incoming leads; add this to the real hiring price.

Interview scheduling tools, background checks ($29–$80 each), and onboarding software further widen total outlay far beyond initial ad spend.

Hidden & Unexpected Costs

Generic titles such as “Manager” attract unrelated clicks. At $1/click, 300 wrong visitors cost $300 with zero hires. Precision saves money.

Ad fatigue: leaving a sponsored post unchanged for 45+ days drops apply rate by 35 % while spend holds steady. Refresh wording monthly.

Indeed’s automatic budget increase suggestion can raise daily cap without explicit approval. Disable auto-upsell in settings to prevent unwanted charges.

Financing & Budgeting Options

Daily budget starts as low as $5; adjust up or down instantly with no penalty. Funds accrue on a post-pay billing cycle—most companies auto-debited every 30 days or at $500 spend, whichever comes first.

Indeed offers $100-$300 trial credits to first-time enterprise accounts. Credits burn quickly but give data before committing cash.

Agencies sometimes negotiate flat monthly retainers with Indeed, exchanging predictable invoices for discounted CPC averages (about 12 % cheaper).

Table: PPC vs. PPA Performance Snapshot

Answers to Common Questions

Is posting on Indeed completely free? Yes. Any employer may list a job at $0, but reach shrinks quickly unless sponsored.

How much does it cost to sponsor a job? Daily budgets start at $5. Most small firms spend $150–$300 per month per post.

Which is better—PPC or PPA? Choose PPC for volume and PPA for specialized roles where each application matters more than traffic.

Can campaigns be paused? Yes. Pause or adjust budgets anytime; remaining funds stay in your account.

Do I pay per hire? No. Indeed charges per click or per application, not on the final hire outcome.