# How much does AI resume screening cost?

_The AI Build Index, published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. USD._

AI resume screening typically costs about $1,200. Half of the 66 priced job posts we tracked fall between $200 and $4,100, and one in ten reaches $11,100 or more.

## Key facts

- Typical cost: $1,200, with the middle half of posts between $200 and $4,100.
- That is 52% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
- Work expected to take under a month has a median of $330, against $20,650 for over six months.
- Fixed-price median $300; hourly estimate median $4,150.
- Hourly rates mostly run from $17 to $38 an hour.
- Most requested skills: Python, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

## What it includes

AI resume screening parses CVs and ranks or summarises candidates against a role, helping recruiters handle high application volumes while people make the final decision.

- Resume parsing into structured data
- Matching against job requirements
- Summaries and rankings for recruiters
- Connection to the applicant tracking system
- Records of how candidates were assessed

## What drives the cost

Work expected to take under a month has a median of $330, against $20,650 for over six months. Part of that gap is built in, because hourly estimates are calculated from expected length. Fixed-price posts state a median of $300, while hourly posts work out at $4,150 on our estimate: 14 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work.

| Expected length | Median cost | Priced posts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Under 1 month | $330 | 18 |
| 1 to 3 months | $1,500 | 37 |
| 3 to 6 months | Too few posts | 4 |
| Over 6 months | $20,650 | 7 |

| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced posts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entry level | Too few posts | 3 |
| Intermediate | $1,100 | 34 |
| Expert | $1,250 | 29 |

- Applicant tracking system access
- Volume and languages of CVs
- Bias testing and audit requirements

## Breakdown

| Industry | Median cost | Middle half | Priced posts |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recruiting and HR | $1,200 | $200–$4,150 | 61 |

## Skills and rates

The skills named most often in these posts are Python (45%), Artificial Intelligence (40%), Machine Learning (28%) and JavaScript (19%). Read this as the working stack for this kind of build, and as a checklist when assessing who should do it.

Hourly posts for this work typically offer $17 to $38 an hour, the middle half of posted rates. The median top of the range is $35 an hour across 23 hourly posts. These are rates in the open freelance market: agencies and in-house teams usually cost more.

## Who is buying

43% of posts ask for expert-level talent. Buyers are most often based in the United States, India and the United Kingdom, with 30% in the United States. Among posts that state a company size, 93% come from companies of up to 10 people. A typical post draws about 10 applicants.

## What to check before you commit

- Check hiring laws on automated decisions, such as New York City's bias audit rule
- Test for bias before going live
- Keep a person responsible for every rejection

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does AI resume screening cost?

AI resume screening typically costs about $1,200. Half of the 66 priced job posts we tracked fall between $200 and $4,100, and one in ten reaches $11,100 or more. That is 52% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.

### How long does AI resume screening take?

32% of posts expect the work done in under a month, 55% in one to three months and 13% over a longer stretch. Work expected to take under a month has a median of $330, against $20,650 for over six months.

### Why do estimates vary so much?

Fixed-price posts state a median of $300, while hourly posts work out at $4,150 on our estimate: 14 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work. Scope matters most: applicant tracking system access and volume and languages of CVs move the price the most.

### What hourly rate should I expect?

Most hourly posts offer $17 to $38 an hour, with a median top rate of $35. Agencies and in-house specialists usually charge more than the open freelance market.

### What skills does this work need?

Posts most often ask for Python, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and JavaScript.

### Do I need an expert?

Posts asking for expert-level talent have a median of $1,250, 1.1 times the $1,100 for intermediate talent. 43% of posts ask for experts.

### Where do these numbers come from?

From 66 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 43 fixed budgets as stated and 23 hourly posts we costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They are what buyers offered, not signed contract prices.

## Source

The AI Build Index. "Resume screening: what it costs." Published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. https://aibuildindex.com/cost/resume-screening

Method: https://aibuildindex.com/methodology