Free tool · For practice owners
What does an empty chair cost?
A job ad is the smallest line in the cost of a vacancy. Most of it is production that does not happen while the seat is open, and the weeks a new hire spends getting up to speed. Put in your own numbers.
Quick answer
Vacancy cost = production lost while the seat is open + temp or overtime cover + ads and your time spent hiring + output lost while the new hire ramps up. Every input below can be replaced with your practice’s figures.
Data updated: October 2026
Changing the role resets the example values below.
Starts at the BLS national median.
The rest is rescheduled or absorbed.
Starts at 15% of pay as an example only. Enter the quote you were given.
Cost of this vacancy
$34,046
Filling it yourself in 60 days.
Each extra week open
$2,880
Lost production plus cover.
On your own vs with a recruiter
On your own
$34,046
With a recruiter
$36,374
Including the fee.
Recruiter costs more
$2,328
The recruiter column drops the ad spend and halves your hours on hiring, since you still interview the shortlist. If the faster fill is the only difference, the comparison turns on how many weeks sooner the seat is filled.
DDS Recruit charges a nominal monthly search fee and a success fee when a placement sticks, and a placement that leaves within the first year is replaced at no extra charge.
Setting the pay for the role? Check the salary calculator · Comparing options? Job boards vs recruiters
Method and sources
Days to fill are calendar days, converted to clinical days at the days per week you enter. Lost production = production per open day x clinical days open x the share actually lost. Cover = temp or overtime cost per day x clinical days open. Hiring cost = ads + your hours x the value of your hour. Ramp-up = weekly production x training weeks x (1 − productivity during training).
The recruiter column uses the recruiter days to fill, drops the ad spend, halves your hours (you still interview), and adds the fee you enter.
Starting salaries are BLS national medians (office manager is an example; BLS has no dental-specific category). Every other starting value is an example to show how the tool works, not an industry benchmark. Replace them with your own.
- BLS OEWS: Dental Hygienists (29-1292)↗
- BLS OEWS: Dental Assistants (31-9091)↗
- BLS OEWS: Dentists, General (29-1021)↗
For information only. Not legal, tax or financial advice.
Common questions
How do I estimate production lost per day for a hygienist?
+
Multiply the patients on a full hygiene column by your average hygiene visit fee, including exams and x-rays billed in that chair. Then set the share actually lost to reflect how many of those patients you can rebook into other columns.
Does hiring a dental hygienist through an agency cost more?
+
The fee is higher than a job ad. Whether the total is higher depends on how much sooner the seat is filled: each extra week open costs lost production and cover. Put both timelines into the calculator to see which side comes out ahead for your numbers.
What is included in turnover cost?
+
Lost production while the seat is open, temporary or overtime cover, advertising, the time you and your manager spend hiring, and the output lost while the new hire trains. Exit costs such as overtime before someone leaves are not included.