Open data · May 2025 wage release
Staffing Bill Rate Index
Median pay rates, fully burdened cost and the bill rate required to hit 20%, 25% and 30% gross margin, by recruitment niche and US state. Built on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data.
In short
A staffing bill rate is the contractor's pay rate plus employer burden, divided by one minus your target gross margin. At a $30 pay rate with 12.5% burden, a 25% gross margin needs a bill rate of $45.00 — a 50% markup. This index publishes that calculation for every major recruitment niche and US state using published federal wage data.
Pay, burden and bill rate by role
Median hourly pay from the BLS OEWS May 2025 release, burdened at 12.5%, with the bill rate required to hit each gross margin.
Healthtech and clinical
Clinical contract work pays weekly and invoices on 30 to 60 day terms, so every placement consumes cash before it produces any. This is the most funding-dependent niche on the board.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $46.90 | $52.76 | $65.95 | $70.35 | $75.38 | 50% |
| Nurse Practitioners | $63.61 | $71.56 | $89.45 | $95.42 | $102.23 | 50% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $30.96 | $34.83 | $43.54 | $46.44 | $49.76 | 50% |
| Respiratory Therapists | $39.56 | $44.51 | $55.63 | $59.34 | $63.58 | 50% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $38.52 | $43.34 | $54.17 | $57.78 | $61.91 | 50% |
AI and machine learning
High day rates mean a small contractor book locks up a large amount of cash. Ten AI contractors can tie up more working capital than fifty light industrial placements.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientists | $57.80 | $65.02 | $81.28 | $86.70 | $92.89 | 50% |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $67.45 | $75.88 | $94.85 | $101.18 | $108.40 | 50% |
| Software Developers | $65.38 | $73.55 | $91.94 | $98.07 | $105.08 | 50% |
Finance and accounting
Interim finance work bills at strong rates on predictable cycles, which makes the receivable easy for a funder to underwrite — one of the cleanest niches to factor.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | $40.23 | $45.26 | $56.57 | $60.35 | $64.66 | 50% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $49.40 | $55.57 | $69.47 | $74.10 | $79.39 | 50% |
| Financial Managers | $80.08 | $90.09 | $112.61 | $120.12 | $128.70 | 50% |
Legal
Permanent legal search invoices on start date and needs almost no working capital, which is why legal is a common first niche for a self-funded founder.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | $76.76 | $86.36 | $107.94 | $115.14 | $123.36 | 50% |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $30.24 | $34.02 | $42.52 | $45.36 | $48.60 | 50% |
Go-to-market
Almost entirely permanent, so revenue is lumpy rather than cash-hungry. The constraint is pipeline concentration, not payroll funding.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Managers | $71.28 | $80.19 | $100.24 | $106.92 | $114.56 | 50% |
| Marketing Managers | $80.19 | $90.21 | $112.77 | $120.29 | $128.88 | 50% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $33.65 | $37.86 | $47.32 | $50.47 | $54.08 | 50% |
Product and design
A mixed book: perm fees fund the business while contract engagements build the recurring revenue a buyer will pay a multiple for.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Management Specialists | $49.19 | $55.34 | $69.17 | $73.79 | $79.06 | 50% |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $50.00 | $56.25 | $70.31 | $75.00 | $80.36 | 50% |
Data centres and critical infrastructure
Project-driven contract work at high headcount. Milestone payment terms on construction-adjacent clients can stretch well past 45 days, so model the gap conservatively.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $47.66 | $53.62 | $67.02 | $71.49 | $76.60 | 50% |
| Computer Network Architects | $64.45 | $72.51 | $90.63 | $96.68 | $103.58 | 50% |
| Electricians | $30.38 | $34.18 | $42.72 | $45.57 | $48.83 | 50% |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $29.33 | $33.00 | $41.25 | $44.00 | $47.14 | 50% |
Quantitative and risk
A handful of placements a year can carry the business, but the sales cycle is long. Cash risk sits in the gap between hires, not in payroll.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuaries | $62.50 | $70.31 | $87.89 | $93.75 | $100.45 | 50% |
| Statisticians | $50.79 | $57.14 | $71.42 | $76.19 | $81.63 | 50% |
| Mathematicians | $60.92 | $68.54 | $85.67 | $91.38 | $97.91 | 50% |
| Financial Risk Specialists | $56.41 | $63.46 | $79.33 | $84.62 | $90.66 | 50% |
C-suite and executive search
Retained search is invoiced in thirds, which gives the healthiest cash profile of any model here — and the highest concentration risk.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $102.88 | $115.74 | $144.67 | $154.32 | $165.34 | 50% |
| General and Operations Managers | $50.85 | $57.21 | $71.51 | $76.28 | $81.72 | 50% |
| Human Resources Managers | $71.77 | $80.74 | $100.93 | $107.65 | $115.34 | 50% |
Allied health
Travel and per diem assignments carry housing and travel costs alongside pay, widening the cash gap beyond the payroll number itself.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapists | $49.40 | $55.57 | $69.47 | $74.10 | $79.39 | 50% |
| Occupational Therapists | $48.24 | $54.27 | $67.84 | $72.36 | $77.53 | 50% |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | $47.05 | $52.93 | $66.16 | $70.58 | $75.62 | 50% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $38.52 | $43.34 | $54.17 | $57.78 | $61.91 | 50% |
IT and engineering
Contract IT is the classic factoring book: creditworthy clients, clean timesheets and a receivable a funder will advance against at a high rate.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $65.38 | $73.55 | $91.94 | $98.07 | $105.08 | 50% |
| Information Security Analysts | $62.11 | $69.87 | $87.34 | $93.17 | $99.82 | 50% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $50.89 | $57.25 | $71.56 | $76.34 | $81.79 | 50% |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $29.74 | $33.46 | $41.82 | $44.61 | $47.80 | 50% |
Care and support
The thinnest margins and the heaviest headcount on the board. Care staffing lives or dies on the cost of its funding line.
| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost (12.5%) | Bill @ 20% | Bill @ 25% | Bill @ 30% | Markup @ 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $17.21 | $19.36 | $24.20 | $25.82 | $27.66 | 50% |
| Nursing Assistants | $20.32 | $22.86 | $28.58 | $30.48 | $32.66 | 50% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $30.96 | $34.83 | $43.54 | $46.44 | $49.76 | 50% |
Common questions
- How do you calculate a staffing bill rate?
- Take the contractor's pay rate, add employer burden (payroll taxes and workers' compensation, around 12.5% in the US), then divide that fully burdened cost by one minus your target gross margin. A $30 pay rate at 12.5% burden costs $33.75; at a 25% gross margin the bill rate is $45.00.
- What is a good gross margin for a staffing agency?
- Contract staffing typically runs 18% to 30% gross margin. Below 20% the model rarely funds its own working capital; above 30% usually means a scarce, high-skill niche such as AI, quant or data centre engineering.
- What is the difference between markup and gross margin?
- Margin is measured against the bill rate, markup against the pay rate. A 25% gross margin is roughly a 50% markup once burden is included. Clients negotiate markup; funders and investors look at margin.
Methodology and sources
- Last updated
- Next scheduled review
- Licence
- Free to reuse with attribution to LAUNCH.
- 01
Pay rates are median hourly wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, all industries, national and state level. They are actual published medians, not survey estimates by LAUNCH.
- 02
Employer burden is applied at 12.5% of pay — 9.5% for employer payroll taxes and 3.0% for workers' compensation — matching the default assumptions in our bill rate calculator. Benefits, PTO and travel costs are excluded and must be added for niches that carry them.
- 03
Bill rate is calculated as fully burdened cost divided by (1 − target gross margin). Markup is the same bill rate expressed against pay rate alone, which is how most US clients negotiate.
- 04
Where a state has no published median for an occupation, the row is omitted rather than estimated.
Sources
Cite this index
This data is free to quote, cite and republish with attribution and a link.
LAUNCH. (2026). The LAUNCH. Staffing Bill Rate Index. Launch Found. Retrieved from https://launch-rec.com/data/bill-rate-index
Now pressure-test your own numbers.
Run your niche through the calculators, then apply. Founders pay nothing to be matched with capital and operators.