| Criteria | In-house hiring | TopDevCrew |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first day | ~49 days to an accepted offer, plus ~2 weeks' notice | Profiles in 48 hours; start in 1–2 weeks |
| Monthly cost, senior | $16,600 to $22,000 loaded (East Coast) | $6,900 all-in, flat |
| Upfront cost | Recruiter fee of 15–25% of salary | None |
| If it doesn't work out | Severance, re-hire, another two months | Free replacement within 90 days |
| Scaling down | Layoffs | 30 days' notice |
Typical figures; sources listed on the compare page. The TopDevCrew price is flat per developer.
Where in-house wins
- Roles you'll need for 3+ years, like a staff engineer or team lead
- People who need to be in the office
- Work that requires US citizenship or clearance
The costs that don't show on the offer letter
- Payroll taxes, health insurance, 401(k) match and equity add about 28% on top of salary (BLS employer cost data)
- A recruiter fee of 15–25% of first-year salary
- Your team's interview hours: often 20+ hours per hire
- Two months of roadmap that waits
A common middle path
- Add senior developers with us now to ship the roadmap
- Keep recruiting for the core role at your own pace
- If one of ours becomes core, hire them directly with the buyout
Your next chapter starts here
Skip the sales rep. Talk to the CEO.
Tell us what you're building, your stack and when you need people. Three matched profiles within 48 hours, and a straight answer on whether we're the right fit.