What is the average cost to hire an SDR?

With a recruiting agency: $15,000-$25,000 per hire. With LinkedIn Recruiter: $3,000-$5,000 when you factor in seat costs. With Shortlist: $500-$2,000 all in.

Can I hire SDRs for free?

Shortlist offers a free pilot — you get your first SDR candidates sourced and pre-screened at no cost. If you make a hire, you transition to a subscription.

Why is hiring SDRs so expensive with agencies?

Agencies charge 15-25% of salary because sourcing and screening is labour-intensive when done manually. AI platforms automate this work, passing the savings directly to the employer.

Cheapest Ways to Hire SDRs

SDR recruiting doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here's what each option actually costs.

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Method	Cost Per Hire	Time to Hire
Shortlist	~$500–$2,000	Cheapest with quality guarantee — AI sourcing keeps costs 80-90% below agency fees
Job Boards (Indeed)	~$500–$1,500 ad spend	Low upfront cost but high volume of unqualified applicants wastes recruiter time
LinkedIn Recruiter	~$3,000–$5,000/hire	Expensive annual subscription cost amortised across fewer hires than expected
Referrals	Near zero (but slow)	Cheapest in cash but unpredictable timing and exhausts quickly without a network
Recruiting Agency	$15,000–$25,000/hire	Most expensive option — 15-25% of salary with variable quality and no pipeline

Method

Cost Per Hire

Time to Hire

Shortlist

~$500–$2,000

Cheapest with quality guarantee — AI sourcing keeps costs 80-90% below agency fees

Job Boards (Indeed)

~$500–$1,500 ad spend

Low upfront cost but high volume of unqualified applicants wastes recruiter time

LinkedIn Recruiter

~$3,000–$5,000/hire

Expensive annual subscription cost amortised across fewer hires than expected

Referrals

Near zero (but slow)

Cheapest in cash but unpredictable timing and exhausts quickly without a network

Recruiting Agency

$15,000–$25,000/hire

Most expensive option — 15-25% of salary with variable quality and no pipeline

Our Verdict Shortlist is the cheapest reliable way to hire SDRs — AI sourcing eliminates the manual work that makes agency fees so high, and you only pay for successful placements during the pilot.

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Cheapest Ways to Hire SDRs

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