How Much Does an HR Consultant Cost in Australia?

HR consultant costs in Australia typically range from $150 to $500 per hour for ad-hoc work, or $1,500 to $4,500 per month on a retainer. What you pay depends on the scope of support, the consultant’s experience, and whether you need ongoing or one-off help. Here is how to think about it.

One of the most common questions we get is about price. It is a fair question. Most HR consultants do not publish their rates, which makes it hard to know what to expect or whether you are getting good value.

We publish ours. Here is what the market looks like and how Jigsaw HR sits within it.

How HR consultants typically charge

There are two main models: hourly and retainer.

Hourly rates suit one-off work. A contract review, a single performance issue, or advice on a specific situation. You pay for what you use. The downside is that you are always starting from scratch and the consultant has to re-learn your business each time.

Retainer models give you a dedicated partner who knows your business, your team, and your history. You pay a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope of support. For most growing businesses, this works out to be both better value and better advice.

What does it actually cost?

At Jigsaw HR, our retainers start at $1,500 per month plus GST for the Lite Strategic Partner plan, and $3,750 per month plus GST for the full Strategic Partner Active plan. We also have an HR Hub subscription at $149 per month for businesses that want self-serve access to templates and resources with email support.

How does that compare to hiring in-house?

An experienced HR manager in Australia earns between $90,000 and $130,000 per year. Add superannuation, leave entitlements, and recruitment costs and you are looking at well over $100,000 annually for a single hire. And that is before you consider the overhead of managing another employee.

A retainer with an HR consultancy gives you access to a full team’s worth of experience at a fraction of that cost, with no leave loading, no recruitment cost, and no fixed headcount.

“Most of our clients come to us after spending months managing HR themselves. The cost of the retainer is almost always less than the time they were losing every week trying to figure it out.”

What should you get for your money?

A good HR consultant should give you:

• Fast response when something comes up, not a week-long wait
• Practical advice you can act on, not vague suggestions to “seek further guidance”
• Someone who knows your business and your team, not a call centre
• Confidence that your contracts, policies, and processes are compliant with current Fair Work requirements

Is it worth it for a small business?

If you have employees, you have legal obligations. The Fair Work Act 2009, modern awards, the National Employment Standards, and superannuation all apply to you regardless of how many people you have. (Fair Work Ombudsman — National Employment Standards)

The cost of getting it wrong is almost always higher than the cost of getting it right. A single unfair dismissal claim, a wage underpayment issue, or a poorly handled termination can cost a small business tens of thousands of dollars and significant management time.

For most businesses with five or more employees, a retainer is worth it. For smaller businesses or those with occasional needs, hourly or project-based support makes more sense.

How do I know which option is right for me?

Book a free 30-minute call. We will listen to what is going on in your business and tell you honestly what you need. If that is just a one-off contract review, we will tell you that. If it is something more ongoing, we will explain why and what it would look like.