Staffing Agency Valuation Multiples (2026)
Staffing agencies trade on vertical specialty and client diversification. Specialty staffing (healthcare, IT, finance) with master agreements reaches 0.6× revenue and 5.2× EBITDA.
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Premium drivers
- ↑Specialty vertical (healthcare, IT, finance)
- ↑Long-term client master agreements
- ↑Perm-placement revenue mix > 20%
- ↑Strong recruiter retention
Discount drivers
- ↓Generalist staffing in commodity verticals
- ↓Single-client concentration
- ↓Aged AR / payroll funding risk
- ↓I-9 / co-employment compliance issues
Who buys staffing agency?
PE-backed staffing platform (Eliassen, Insight Global), larger national staffing firm, or strategic specialty operator
Typical timeline + revenue band
- Days to close: 75–180
- Revenue band these multiples apply to: $2.00M–$10.00M
- NAICS: 561320 (Other)
5 levers that lift your Staffing Agency multiple by 30-50%
- 1Lock in recurring revenueConvert the top of your staffing agency revenue stack into multi-year contracts, retainers, or auto-renewing subscriptions. Buyers pay 25-40% more for revenue they don't have to re-win every quarter.
- 2De-risk customer concentrationAim for no single customer above 15% of revenue. If you have a > 25% client, get them on a multi-year master services agreement before going to market.
- 3Document the business out of the ownerPE-backed staffing platform (Eliassen, Insight Global), larger national staffing firm, or strategic specialty operator will discount aggressively for any function that lives in the owner's head — sales, key vendor relationships, pricing, hiring. Run the next 90 days like the owner is on a 6-week vacation.
- 4Clean up the financialsGet a Quality of Earnings-ready trailing 12 months: GAAP-aligned, owner add-backs documented, no commingled personal expenses. This alone moves the multiple 0.5-1.0× upward in this category.
- 5Match the deal to the right buyer poolPE-backed roll-ups, strategic acquirers, and ETA buyers compete on different terms. List with someone who has run a process for staffing agency acquisitions — generic SMB brokers will leave 20%+ on the table.
FAQ — Staffing Agency valuations
What's a typical staffing agency valuation multiple?▾
Typical staffing agency valuations land near 2.5× SDE, 4× EBITDA, or 0.4× revenue. Strong operators reach 3.2× SDE / 5.2× EBITDA / 0.6× revenue, while weaker operators stay closer to 2× SDE / 3.2× EBITDA / 0.3× revenue.
How long does it take to sell a staffing agency?▾
Most staffing agency deals close in 75–180 days from listing. Strong operators with clean financials and a documented buyer pool close on the lower end.
Who buys a staffing agency business?▾
PE-backed staffing platform (Eliassen, Insight Global), larger national staffing firm, or strategic specialty operator
What pushes a staffing agency valuation to the high end?▾
Specialty vertical (healthcare, IT, finance). Long-term client master agreements. Perm-placement revenue mix > 20%. Strong recruiter retention.
What forces a discount when selling a staffing agency?▾
Generalist staffing in commodity verticals. Single-client concentration. Aged AR / payroll funding risk. I-9 / co-employment compliance issues.