For IT recruiters

Run your own desk.
Keep what you earn.

You generate the value. You hold the client relationships. You source the candidates. The only reason you're giving away 75–85% of your margin is operational, not commercial. Placera removes the operational barrier entirely.

Applications reviewed within 48 hours. No upfront cost. No lock-in.
Why Placera

Everything you need to go independent

Candidate ownership protection
Every submission timestamped and immutable. First submission wins, backed by Placera legally. No grey areas, no disputes.
Contracts & legal entity
Placera Pty Ltd signs every client contract. You get the legal credibility of an established entity without running one.
Payroll & superannuation
Weekly timesheets, fortnightly payroll, 11.5% super, payslips. All handled. Contractors paid correctly, every time.
Commission dashboard
See exactly what you earn per placement, per week. Commission rate locked at placement creation and never changes retroactively.
Deal Feed network
Collaborate with other IT recruiters to split deals. Post roles or candidates. Every deal that flows through the network earns you commission, even if you only provided half the placement.
Volume commission rewards
Start at 60%. 3+ active contractors → 65%. Long-tenure placements → 67%. Client origination bonus also applies. Your rate grows as your desk grows.
Deal Feed

The recruiter network that compounds your income

No solo operator can cover the entire IT market. Deal Feed means your reach extends across every specialisation (cloud, cyber, data, DevOps, enterprise apps) without you having to know every sub-market.

Post a role
You have the client and the role but need the right candidate. Post to Deal Feed, set your split, and let the network find the talent. You earn the job-owner share on every successful placement.
Share a candidate
You represent a strong candidate but don't have the right open role. Share their profile (anonymised) to Deal Feed with a 90-day ownership lock. Another recruiter places them, you earn your split.
Agree a split & close
Both parties agree the commission split before any candidate is submitted. The agreement is locked. Placera enforces it. Both recruiters get paid automatically when the contractor bills.
Honest earnings comparison

See the real numbers before you decide

Most calculators ignore your agency base salary and billing thresholds. This one uses real Australian IT recruiter market data so you can make an informed decision, not a flattering one.

IT recruiter base salary
$95–105k
3+ years exp · Sydney/Melbourne
Glassdoor AU · Doherty Group 2024
Agency commission on margin
20–35%
Of gross profit above monthly threshold
Doherty Group · Sonovate 2024
Monthly billing threshold
$25–40k/mo
Commission only activates above this floor
Sonovate · Recruiterflow 2024
Total take of own billings
~33%
Base + commission as % of gross billed
Doherty Group · Juicebox 2024
How agency commission actually works: Most Australian agencies pay a base salary plus commission on your gross profit (margin spread), but only above a monthly billing threshold. Commission rates range 20–35% and often tier upward. This calculator models all of it. Placera pays commission only (no base, no guaranteed floor), so the comparison must be honest about both sides.
Your current agency situation
Base salary (excl. super)$95,000
National avg: $70k · IT 3yr+: $95–105k (Doherty) · Sydney: $95k (Glassdoor)
Commission rate on gross profit20%
Junior: 10–20% · Mid: 20–25% · Senior IT: 25–35%
Monthly billing threshold$30,000
Typical AU agency range: $25k–$40k/month. Below this earns no commission.
Contractors you currently manage8
Gross margin you generate$279,072
Margin above threshold$0
Your commission on that$0
Base salary$95,000
Total income$95,000
Your Placera desk
Avg client day rate$950
AU IT contractor market: $800–$1,200/day typical for cloud, cyber, data, enterprise apps.
Contractor rate (% of client)82% · $779/day to contractor
Margin = client rate − contractor rate. IT spread typically 15–20% of client rate.
Active contractors on Placera8
Your Placera commission rate65%
Default: 60%. Lifts to 65% at 3+ contractors. Rules push to 67–68% for long tenure and client origination.
Gross margin you generate$279,072
Placera fee (35%)$97,675
Your commission (65%)$181,397
66%
You generate $279,072 for your agency, but they keep 66%
Of the $279,072 gross margin your 8 contractors produce, you take home $0 in commission. Your base salary accounts for most of your income. Your commission is a fraction of what you generate.
Agency: total annual income
$95,000
Base $95,000 + commission $0
Income
Base salary$95,000
Commission earned$0
Total cash income$95,000
Package
Super on base (11.5%, agency pays)+$10,925
Total package value$105,925
What you leave behind
Margin you generate but don't keep$279,072
Placera: total annual income
$181,397
Commission only · no base salary
Income
Base salaryNone
Commission (65% of margin)$181,397
Total cash income$181,397
Package
Super (11.5%, you pay from commission)+$20,861
Total package value$202,257
What you keep
Your share of margin generated65%
+$86k
Placera pays more, by $86,397/year
With 8 contractors at $950/day, your Placera commission totals $181,397, $86,397 more than your current agency package of $95,000. Your agency threshold means $360,000/yr of margin earns you nothing. That gap compounds at scale.
Breakeven: how many contractors until Placera income exceeds your agency package?
Placera income above agency package
Below agency package
Your current agency total
1 contractor on Placera
$22,675
2 contractors on Placera
$45,349
3 contractors on Placera
$68,024
4 contractors on Placera
$90,698
5 contractors on Placera
$113,373 ←
6 contractors on Placera
$136,048
7 contractors on Placera
$158,722
8 contractors on Placera
$181,397
At your current agency package of $95,000/yr, you need 5 contractors on Placera before income crosses that line. Your threshold means you currently earn nothing on the first $360,000/yr of margin. That’s real money you’re leaving behind each year.
Data sources
Base salary: Glassdoor AU avg $91–95k (Sydney) · Robert Half AU national avg $70k base + $20k commission · Doherty Group IT 3yr+ avg $105k (2022/23)
Commission rates: Doherty Group AU: Junior 20–25%, Senior 25–30%, Director 30–35% · Juicebox 2026: recruiter with 3yr exp earns ~30–35% of total billings combined
Billing thresholds: Sonovate 2021: threshold before commission is typical in AU contract recruitment at $25–40k/month · Recruiterflow 2026: threshold usually covers cost-per-seat first
Placera income is commission only with no guaranteed minimum. Neither figure includes income tax. Consult a financial adviser before making career decisions.
The honest comparison

Placera vs. your other options

Based on real Australian IT recruiter market data. The agency column reflects how commission structures actually work, including billing thresholds most recruiters don't talk about.

You generate
$147k
annual gross margin from 3 contractors at $950/day · 18% spread · 85% utilisation
Agency keeps
76%
after paying your base + 20% commission above the $30k/month threshold. You generate the value. They capture it.
On Placera
65%
of every dollar of margin goes directly to you. No threshold. No base offset. No ceiling.

How agency commission actually works

The billing threshold
Most Australian agencies only pay commission on margin above a monthly floor, typically $25,000–$40,000/month. Billing below that floor earns you nothing extra. You've already covered your seat cost; the agency keeps that margin entirely.
Typical threshold: $25k–$40k/month · Market data: Sonovate, Recruiterflow 2024
Your commission rate on margin
Your commission percentage applies to the gross profit spread, not to total client billing. A junior consultant earns 10–20% of that margin. A senior IT specialist earns 25–35%. Either way, the vast majority stays with the agency.
Range: 10–35% of gross profit · Senior IT: 25–35% · Source: Doherty Group 2023
The ~33% rule
Research shows the average Australian recruiter (across base salary plus commission) takes home roughly 33% of total billings. The other 67% covers agency overhead, profit, and infrastructure. On Placera, you keep 60–70% of the margin you generate.
Industry avg: ~33% total · Placera: 60–70% · Source: Doherty Group / Juicebox 2024
What you getTraditional agencyPlaceraGoing solo
Earnings structure
Your cut of margin generated20–35% of gross profiton billing above monthly threshold60–70% of gross profiton 100% of margin, no threshold100% of gross profit
Guaranteed base salary✓ $70–115k depending on level✗ Commission only. No floor✗ Commission only
Monthly billing threshold before commissionYes, typically $25k–$40k/monthMargin below this earns you nothing✓ No thresholdEvery dollar of margin counts✓ No threshold
Share of total billings you keep (base + commission)~33% of total gross billingsIndustry average (Doherty Group data)60–70% of gross marginRoughly 2× the industry average~80–90% after costs
Commission rate growth over timeTiered by billing, slow, at agency's discretion✓ Rules-based, automatic3+ contractors = 65%. 12+ weeks = 67%100% always, but so are costs
Infrastructure & operations
Legal entity & ABN✓ Agency's entity✓ Placera Pty Ltd✗ Register your own Pty Ltd
Client contracts & service agreements✓ Agency's standard terms✓ Auto-generated on every placement✗ Draft with a lawyer
Contractor payroll & super✓ Agency handles✓ Fully automated, 11.5% super✗ Set up payroll system
GST invoicing & BAS✓ Agency handles✓ Auto-raised, Xero integrated✗ You or your accountant
Professional indemnity & insurance✓ Agency's policy covers you✓ Placera's policy covers all placements✗ Your own policy
Time to first placementWeeks (interview, onboarding)✓ 48 hours from application✗ 3–6 months setup minimum
Ownership & control
Candidate ownership✗ Agency owns candidate recordsYou leave with nothing when you go✓ Timestamped, yours foreverImmutable. First submission wins✓ Fully yours
Client relationship ownership✗ Agency's accountRestraint of trade clauses apply✓ Your relationshipYou brought it. You own it.✓ Fully yours
Collaborative recruiter network✗ Siloed by desk and brand✓ Deal Feed: split margin across IT specialists✗ No network. You're alone
Commission rate transparency✗ Black box, agency discretion✓ Locked at placement, never changes retroactively✓ You set it yourself
Risk & stability
Income floor if billing slows✓ Base salary continues✗ Commission only. No safety net✗ No safety net
Payday super compliance (July 2026 mandatory)✓ Agency manages✓ Automated. Placera handles all super obligations✗ Your liability, your risk
Working capital (paying contractors before collecting)✓ Agency fronts payroll✓ Placera fronts payroll + invoice financing✗ You carry the cash gap
Agency commission data from: Glassdoor AU (avg $91–95k total, Sydney), Robert Half AU (avg $70k base + $20k commission), Doherty Group IT salary survey 2022/23 (IT 3yr+ avg $105k), Sonovate commission structures guide, Recruiterflow 2026 commission guide. Threshold figures reflect typical Australian agency structures for contract recruiters. Individual agency terms vary. Verify your specific arrangements. Placera income is commission only with no guaranteed minimum.

Apply today. Start placing this week.

Join Australia's growing network of independent IT recruiters on Placera. Cloud, cyber, data, DevOps, enterprise apps. All IT disciplines welcome.