How much can a job agency charge you?
Enter your pay and see the legal maximum fee. For most jobs, it is 1% of up to 3 months' wages.
How are you paid?
How long is the job?
Up to ₩50,000 a month of it can count as wages for the fee.
Membership agencies for day work
Some agencies for day workers such as domestic helpers and caregivers charge a monthly membership fee instead. In 2026, each side pays at most ₩86,275 a month (4% of the monthly minimum wage), and members pay no other placement fee.
How agency fees work in Korea
A paid job agency (유료직업소개소) must register with the city, county or district office where its main office is. It may take only the fees the Minister of Employment and Labor sets, with one exception for the employer side (below). The current rules are Notice No. 2017-22, in force since 1 July 2017.
The fee is based on your wages for the whole job if it lasts under 3 months, or on 3 months' wages if it lasts longer. From you, the agency may take at most 1% of that. From the employer, it may take at most 30%, or 10% for construction day work. The exception: for high-level or professional placements (고급·전문인력), the employer and the agency may agree on the employer's fee. Your 1% cap still applies.
The agency may charge only after you and the employer sign a work contract. A fee from you also needs a written agreement signed in advance.
Red flags
- The agency asks for money before you have a signed work contract.
- The fee is more than the amount this calculator shows.
- The agency cannot show a registration certificate from the local government office.
- Someone offers to place you in an E-9 job for a fee. E-9 workers are placed only through government employment offices.
Source: Ministry of Employment and Labor Notice No. 2017-22 (국내유료직업소개요금 등 고시), in force since 1 July 2017, on law.go.kr. Minimum wage: Minimum Wage Commission.
Questions people ask
How much can a Korean job agency charge a worker?
At most 1% of your wages for the job if it lasts under 3 months, or 1% of 3 months' wages if it lasts 3 months or longer. Example: ₩2,500,000 a month on a 1-year contract means at most ₩75,000.
My agency keeps 10% of my construction day wage. Is that legal?
That 10% is the employer's fee, which you collect and pass on. It is allowed only if you signed the official consent form (대리수령 동의서), and the agency may not also take more than 1% from you.
When can the agency ask me to pay?
Only after you and the employer have signed a work contract, and only under a written fee agreement you signed with the agency beforehand.