A field guide to recruitment agency fees, statutory caps, and the true cost of employment — inside Taiwan's tightest talent market in a decade.
Contingency 20–35%Statutory overhead 13–20%57% weighing a moveSemiconductor premium +30%
壹
市場脈動
01 · Market Pulse
A market moving faster than salaries can keep up
Talent is on the move and employers are racing to catch it — pushing agency demand, sourcing timelines, and fees upward across almost every sector.
57%
of Taiwanese professionals are actively considering a job change in 2026
40%
of employers expect to expand headcount this year
15–30%
pay rise for job‑changers — up to 30% for AI & semiconductor specialists
NT$29,500
statutory monthly minimum wage — NT$196 per hour
貳
委任模式
02 · Engagement Models
Five ways to pay for a hire
Commercial terms in Taiwan span a spectrum — from pay‑on‑success contingency work to fully retained, staged executive search.
Contingency
No upfront cost, no exclusivity — the default for standard professional roles.
20–30%of first-yr salary
Exclusive Contingency
Single-agency mandate for hard-to-fill specialist positions.
20–30%of first-yr salary
Retained Search
Staged, upfront payment — reserved for executive or confidential mandates.
Staged3 milestones
Full RPO
Outsourced, continuous hiring engine for high-volume employers.
Custommonthly retainer
Employer of Record
Hire in Taiwan without a local entity — EOR carries statutory compliance.
US$179–900or 8–15% of salary
參
仲介費率
03 · Contingency Fee Bands
Fees climb with scarcity, not just seniority
Semiconductor and AI talent now command the same premium once reserved for the C‑suite — a sign of just how tight technical sourcing has become.
General professional
20%
25%
Mid-level specialist
20%
25%
Tech & engineering
20%
30%
Senior management
25%
30%
Semiconductor & AI specialists
25%
30%+
Executive leadership
25%
35%
15%20%25%30%35%40%
肆
委聘架構
04 · Retained Search Structure
Executive mandates are paid in three acts
Retained search reverses the risk: the client commits capital in stages, well before a candidate signs.
~33%
Engagement & Kickoff
Due on mandate signing, before sourcing begins.
→
~33%
Shortlist Delivery
Due when a qualified shortlist is presented.
→
~34%
Successful Placement
Remaining balance on the candidate's start date.
Worked example · contingency fee
NT$1,500,000base salary×22%agency fee=NT$330,000
Fee bases commonly bundle guaranteed 13th‑month pay and guaranteed bonuses into the calculation — confirm the definition before signing, as it can move the invoice materially.
伍
法定費率上限
05 · Statutory Fee Caps
Not every fee is negotiable
Taiwan's labor authorities cap what licensed agencies may charge for regulated categories of placement — ceilings that sit well below open-market contingency rates.
Employer-Paid Placement
Candidate below average salary
max 1 month salary
Candidate above average salary
up to 4 months salary
Annual service fee
NT$2,000 cap
Domestic Job Seekers
Combined registration & placement
5% of month 1 salary
Employment counseling
NT$1,000 / hr max
Psychological testing
NT$700 / test max
Foreign Professionals
Registration & placement
1 month salary*
Annual service fee
NT$2,000 cap
Migrant Workers
Year 1 service fee
NT$1,800 / mo max
Year 2 service fee
NT$1,700 / mo max
Year 3 onward
NT$1,500 / mo max
*Subject to statutory exceptions by role and permit category.
陸
雇主法定成本
06 · Statutory Employer Overhead
The agency fee is only half the cost of a hire
Every salary carries statutory overhead on top — five mandatory contributions that layer onto base pay the moment an offer is signed.
8.05%
4.84%
6%
Labor Insurance — 8.05% effective (70% of 11.5%)Ceiling: NT$45,800 / mo
Employment Insurance — 0.70% effective (70% of 1%)Ceiling: NT$45,800 / mo
National Health Insurance — ~4.84% effective (60% of 5.17%)Ceiling: NT$313,000 / mo
Labor Pension — 6% minimum, employer-borne in fullCeiling: NT$150,000 / mo
Occupational Accident — industry-rated, employer-borne in fullCeiling: NT$72,800 / mo
Aggregate statutory overhead
13–20%
柒
服務時效
07 · Service-Level Benchmarks
What a well-run search should feel like
Typical turnaround times agencies commit to in Taiwan, from kickoff to a guaranteed replacement window.
Search kickoff
1–3 business days
Initial candidate feedback
3–7 business days
First qualified shortlist
5–15 business days
Interview coordination
1–3 business days
Candidate feedback turnaround
1–2 business days
Replacement guarantee
30–90 days — longer for executive mandates
捌
執照與合規
08 · Licensing & Compliance
Only capitalized, licensed agencies may operate
Taiwan sets a materially higher bar for agencies placing foreign workers — a useful filter when vetting a partner.
Domestic Recruitment
Minimum capital
NT$500,000
Per additional branch
NT$200,000
Foreign Worker Recruitment
Minimum capital
NT$5,000,000
Per additional branch
NT$2,000,000
Government administrative fees: license application NT$500 · issuance NT$2,000 · renewal / replacement NT$1,000 · professional credential NT$400.
