Indeed Pricing: Job Posting Costs

 

Free job postings vs. Sponsored Jobs

Here are some questions to consider to help you decide whether sponsoring a job on Indeed is right for you:

• How fast do you need to hire? If you are trying to make a hire ASAP, paying to post a job can yield more applicants in less time.
• How specialized is the role? If you are trying to hire someone for a hard-to-fill position (e.g., nurses, engineers, tax professionals), sponsoring will ensure your job post appears for a longer time. That way, you can reach more quality and/or niche candidates.
• Where are you located? If you live in a place where there just is not a large pool of industry talent, sponsoring can provide the visibility you need to find a great fit.
• Are you having a hard time hiring? As a general best practice, if you have a good job description and job title but are still having trouble hiring, sponsoring can help.

Read more: Free vs. Sponsored Jobs on Indeed

 

Benefits of paid job posts on Indeed

Promoting your job on Indeed gives you access to two tiers of Sponsored Jobs—Standard and Premium—each designed to help you reach more relevant candidates based on your hiring needs and timeline.

Whether you’re looking to attract more applicants fast or want to highlight an urgent or hard-to-fill role, Sponsored Jobs give you the flexibility to choose the right level of visibility and support, and you can pause or close jobs at any time with no long-term contracts.

Here’s a look at the benefits of each tier:

Standard Sponsored Jobs

Standard Sponsored Jobs are a great way to boost visibility and get more traction than a free listing. When you sponsor a job at the Standard level, you’ll:

Appear more prominently in search results

We promote your job post so it’s shown with more visibility to active job seekers in search results and job alerts.

Reach a broader audience of relevant candidates

Your job will stand out on Indeed’s homepage to job seekers who previously searched for jobs like yours.

Set your own budget

We’ll recommend a budget designed to help you receive applications at the right pace for your hiring needs, using market insights.

Pause or close your post anytime

No contracts or long-term commitments required.

Premium Sponsored Jobs

Premium Sponsored Jobs offer everything you get with Standard, plus additional tools and features to help you connect with the right candidates faster. With a Premium post, you can also:

Reduce your time to hire

Prioritize your role over similar job posts in search results to receive applications fast.

Build your applicant list quickly

Premium Sponsored Jobs have exclusive access to the Urgently Hiring label, which job seekers can see on the job post as an indicator that you’re moving through the hiring process quickly.

Get more targeted distribution

Premium jobs are actively promoted across Indeed and its partner sites to increase reach, especially in competitive markets.

Create brand recognition with candidates

Stand out from similar roles in search results with attention-grabbing visuals, like your company logo and images that draw attention to your job post.

Choosing the right level depends on your hiring goals. If you’re trying to fill a critical role quickly or struggling to find qualified applicants, Premium can give you an edge. Standard is a great fit when you want to increase exposure while staying within a leaner budget.

Only pay for quality applications

Only pay for applications that meet your deal breakers. Deal breakers are must-have requirements you set when posting your job. If an application does not meet your needs, you can reject it within 72 hours of submission and we will not charge you for that application.

Get better visibility in search results

Sponsored Jobs appear for longer than non-sponsored jobs on the search results — which means there is a better chance that the right person will see and apply for your job.

Unlock Matched Candidates

Sponsoring a job post automatically unlocks Matched Candidates. Matched Candidates goes to work for you right away, presenting you with a list of candidates whose resumes on Indeed fit your job description. You can then invite as many of these candidates as you would like to apply.

Matched Candidates represents a more proactive approach to hiring. When you nudge jobseekers — even a bit — they are more likely to apply. Our data shows us that candidates you invite to apply through Matched Candidates are 4x more likely to apply[2] to your job than those who only see it in search. 

  

How pricing works

Note: Our new pricing model outlined below started in 2022. See the difference between our old pricing model (CPC) and our new pricing model (CPA).

You may be wondering: How much does Indeed cost? To answer that questions, let us explore how Indeed pricing works:

Set job requirements with deal breakers

When you post a job on Indeed, you will be prompted to set your minimum criteria for quality applications by adding screener questions (also known as Applicant Qualifications). These questions tell Indeed what you need from applicants by using questions that require a specific response, such as valid licenses, certifications or years of experience.

For each screener question, you can choose to make it a minimum response required by checking a box called “deal breaker” next to each question. Deal breakers are mandatory requirements for a job. When you set deal breakers, you give Indeed permission to place those applicants that do not meet these requirements into your rejected tab.

Note: You will still be able to access all applications, even the ones that do not meet your deal breakers.

Agree to the price before you pay

Before you spend, we will recommend a price per application based on historical hiring data from jobs similar to yours and an estimated number of applications you will likely need to help you make a hire. You can set a target for the number of applications you need, or manually pause the sponsored job post any time.

We set the price per application based on local job market conditions in your area and the information you provide in your job post, like job title and location. Indeed will show you the price per application so you can stay on budget. That means the cost to post jobs on Indeed will be transparent from the get-go, but will be dependent on your specific hiring needs.

3. Only pay for qualifying applications

When an applicant meets the criteria for all questions you marked as “deal breakers,” their application will be sent to you for review. If you are not satisfied with an application, you can reject it within 72 hours of receiving it and we will not charge you for it. Indeed will show you the next application that meets the criteria you have set with deal breakers.

You will continue to receive new applications, and the job post will be visible to jobseekers on Indeed until the application goal is met (in which case the job is auto-paused), or if you pause or close the job yourself — whichever comes first.

CPA vs CPC Pricing

With our old pricing model, known as Cost Per Click (CPC), employers paid for every click made on their job post, even if those clicks did not turn into a completed candidate application. Employers specified a “daily budget,” which was the average amount they wanted to spend per day to promote their job.

Starting in 2023, our pricing model evolved to better align with the results you care about most. Rather than paying per click, you now pay only when you receive quality applications that meet your job post criteria. You can mark specific application questions as “deal breakers,” helping you prioritize qualified talent. This approach gives you more control over your spend and the quality of candidates, since you can review applications before deciding which to move forward with.

 

When your search is complete

Your job will continue to be sponsored on Indeed until you get your target number of applications. You will not be charged for overages. Once Indeed provides you with your target number of applications, your job will be paused.

What is the difference between closed vs. paused job postings? Both statuses remove your job from search results and stop your spending. However, changing your job’s status to paused keeps it visible in your dashboard. This option may be best if you are receiving a lot of applications and need more time to review the candidates you already have. Closing your job is recommended if you make a hire or no longer need to fill the position. You can pause or close your job at any time from your employer dashboard — even before you reach your application threshold.

 

Indeed pricing FAQs

When will I be billed?

You will be billed on the first of the month or when you spend $500, whichever comes first.

What if my budget does not match with the recommended number of applications?

If our recommendation does not  align with your budget you can always adjust the number of applications you need. We provide our prediction based on past hiring data from employers who have made hires on Indeed.

How do I reject an application?

You have a 72 hour window to review each application and decide whether or not to keep it. If you decide not to accept an application, you can reject the application in your employer dashboard. Indeed will then send you a new application that meets your deal breaker requirements as soon as one becomes available.

How does Matched Candidates work with cost per application pricing?

You will only be charged when a jobseeker applies in response to your invitation.

Are all jobs now priced per application?

No. We price per application when we possess sufficient data about the estimated number of applicants you will need to make a hire and the cost for Indeed to deliver those applicants. If we do not have sufficient data to offer per applicant pricing, you will be offered the opportunity to pay per click.

Back to Hiring with Indeed

1. Indeed Data – Worldwide
2. Indeed data (US)