Job adverts
How much does it cost to advertise a job in the UK?
The big job boards do not publish a rate you can read. We checked Reed, CV-Library, Indeed and Totaljobs in a browser on 6 September 2026 and none of the four showed a price — two returned a 404 at their own pricing URL, one refuses automated requests, and Indeed prices sponsored posts by auction. Go direct and you will be quoted, not shown a price. A multi-board flat-fee package is the part of this market where a price is actually printed on the page: ours is £399, £499 or £599 +VAT per vacancy for a 28-day listing with the advert written for you and no commission when you hire.
A price that is actually printed on the page
| Package | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | £399 +VAT | 28-day listing across the major boards, advert written for you, applications into your dashboard |
| Premium | £499 +VAT | As above, plus CV-Library, featured placement, social promotion and a refresh at day 14 |
| Premium Plus | £599 +VAT | As above, plus an account manager, bespoke copywriting and a shortlist |
So the cost to post a job online with us is £399 +VAT for one advert, live for 28 days across the major boards — you can post a job online here in a few minutes. One purchase covers every board on the list, with no commission when you hire. Cheaper entry packages exist elsewhere in the market; they are smaller, so compare what is inside one — boards reached, days live, and whether anybody writes the advert — rather than the headline figure.
Why the big boards will not quote you
We checked each one's own pricing URL in a real browser on 6 September 2026:
| Board | Result |
|---|---|
| Reed | HTTP 404 at their pricing URL |
| CV-Library | Refuses automated requests |
| Indeed | 404, and sponsored posts are priced by auction |
| Totaljobs | HTTP 404 at their pricing URL |
Zero out of four. Board pricing genuinely varies by volume and contract, so they would rather have the conversation. It does mean that anyone quoting you "Reed costs £X" has either negotiated that themselves or is repeating a guess.
Free options, and what they are good for
Indeed has a free tier, though free posts rank below sponsored ones and usually fade within days. Your own careers page, the government's Find a Job service and one LinkedIn post are also free.
Free works where there is a deep pool of active candidates. It rarely works for anything specialist, because the people you want are not looking.
The number that decides it
Whatever you pay, an advert produces applications and somebody works them. Across 46 filled roles that was a median of 26 candidates per hire. The advert price is the small number.
Want the fixed price for your role?
Advertise it yourself from £399 +VAT, or hand the whole search to a dedicated recruiter — a flat fee by salary band, starting with a five-point review of your role.
See Premium Hire Advertise a job
Or call 0161 327 2895.