Average Cost of Paying for a Resume Writer or Resume Review

There are so many resume services available online, with huge variations in price (and quality!), that it can be hard to know how much a professional resume service should cost. To give you an overview, we've listed the prices of 25 of the popular resume service providers in the market, with links to each one.

We've included resume builder tools, resume writing, and resume reviews, so you can quickly compare costs across services and decide which price bracket suits you.

You'll also learn what factors affect the cost of a resume service, when it's worth paying for, and when it isn't.

Here's an overview:

1. Resume service costs: price comparison table
2. How much should a resume builder cost?
3. How much should a resume writing service cost?
4. How much should a resume review cost?
5. Is it worth paying for a resume service?
6. Next steps

Ready? Let's go.

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1. How much should you pay for a resume? Price comparison table

We've analyzed the prices across 25 major resume service websites. You'll see that if you want to get your resume written by a highly qualified professional, you'll need to spend hundreds of dollars. The cheaper resume services don't say exactly who their writers are or what specific qualifications they have.

Let's take a look.

Please note that while we try to keep this article updated and current, companies may change their prices without us realizing.

2. How much should a resume builder cost?

You can find resume builder tools available from free to $25. However, we'd advise against paying for a resume builder unless you really need your resume to stand out visually (for example, you work in graphic design). It's so easy to find free resume templates to copy from, and recruiters and hiring managers really don't care about the layout and design of your resume as long as it is easy to understand and fits standard requirements.

3. How much should a resume writing service cost?

As you can see in the table above, you can find resume writers at every price from $15 to $5000. The average cost for resume writing seems to be around $700 per resume.

Here are the many factors that will affect how much you pay for a resume writing service.

• Time. Getting a real expert to write your resume costs a lot as it will normally take them at least a day (getting an expert to review your resume takes a lot less of time, hence is much cheaper)
• Level of expertise: Experienced resume writers or services with a proven track record, expertise and knowledge of industry-specific requirements will charge more for their services.
• Your experience level: Different types of resumes, such as entry-level, mid-career, executive, or career change resumes, may have varying price points. More complex resumes, like those for executives, can be more expensive due to the depth of experience required.
• Company cut: Resume writing websites such as TopResume or Monster will usually outsource your resume to a freelancer. Some sites will pay low rates to their writers and thus keep more of your fee.
• Turnaround time: Faster delivery of resume services typically costs more. If a client needs a resume urgently, they may have to pay a premium for expedited service.
• Customization: Tailoring each resume to the individual client takes more time and effort. Services that offer more personalized resumes generally charge more.
• Number of revisions: If a client requires multiple revisions or ongoing support, this can affect the final price. Some services may include a specific number of revisions in their standard package, while additional revisions may come at an extra cost.
• Guarantees: Some services offer guarantees, such as a job interview guarantee. These assurances can contribute to higher pricing.
• Location: A resume service based in Delhi will have much lower overheads than if it were based in San Francisco. If you're on a tight budget, using highly recommended freelancers or services based in developing countries can be a good way to save.

4. How much should a resume review cost?

Resume review services are generally a lot more affordable than resume writing services. You pay for an expert to review your resume and give you detailed, actionable feedback. How much you pay generally depends on the expertise of the person reviewing your resume, the time they spend on it, and how much two-way feedback is offered.

Professional, expert services tend to start at around $100 and can go up to $1000 for complete packages. On IGotAnOffer you can get your resume reviewed by a top hiring manager /recruiter of your choosing, for just $119-149.

If you're on a tight budget or aiming for mid-low paid jobs, you can try cheaper resume review services such as Indeed's resume review for $35. Obviously, don't expect your reviewer to be an expert from a top company, but if you're stuck on basics it could be helpful. Or you can go to forums (like this Reddit thread) and try and get your resume reviewed for free!

5. Is it worth paying for a resume service?

As is ever the case with this kind of question, the answer is 'it depends." Let's take a look at both sides.

When it IS worth using a resume service:

1. You're in a highly competitive field: If you're aiming to get interviews at very selective companies (like Google, McKinsey, etc), you're going to have to sell your achievements extremely well, as well as tailor your resume to that specific company. Recruiter insight here can come in especially handy.

2. Overcoming gaps or challenges: If your career journey has gaps, frequent job changes, or other challenges that make traditional resume writing a bit tricky, a professional service can strategize how to present your history effectively.

3. Time-efficiency: When time is of the essence and you're willing to spend $500+, a professional resume writing service can save you hours of writing and editing, allowing you to focus on your job search.

4. You're not getting many interviews. If you've been applying for jobs that you think you're reasonably well-qualified for and not getting invited to interview, your resume probably isn't doing you justice.

5. ROI potential: If the kind of roles you're applying for are well paid, then paying for a resume service can look like a pretty sensible investment.

6. Your resume is "fine". Despite what some companies will tell you, resume writing isn't an art form. Even if you're not great at writing, you can probably craft a "perfectly fine" resume using free guides such as this one. However, a perfectly fine resume doesn't necessarily get you interviews if you're in a tough industry. That's why an hour spent getting feedback from a recruiter or hiring manager can be a great investment even for candidates who are reasonably confident about their resume.

When it is NOT worth using a resume service:

1. You don't have a clear idea of what you want: Even the best resume writer will have trouble coming up with a strong resume for you if you don't know what kind of role or area you want to position yourself in. In fact, you might prefer a career coaching session to help you get an idea of what to target.

2. Generic services: When the resume service offers generic, one-size-fits-all solutions that don't cater to your unique career path or industry, it's probably not worth it.

3. Minimal career history: If you're at the beginning of your career with minimal work experience, writing your resume should be more straightforward, as you won't have so many relevant achievements to choose from. Unless you're going for a very competitive role or program, you should be okay using free resources.

4. You're already getting lots of interviews. A great resume will get you through the door, but it won't help you much in the interviews. If you're failing interviews, you probably need to focus on your preparation. You might even want to consider interview coaching (see "What an interview coach can do for you").

5. Overreliance: Using a resume service should complement your own efforts, not replace them. If you expect a professionally written resume to work miracles without active job searching, it may not be the best choice.

If you want to learn more about how paid resume writing services work, check out our in-depth review of TopResume and its resume writing service.

6. Next steps

If you do decide to use a resume service, some options give you a lot more value than others. Find out more by reading our guide to the best resume review services.

Here at IGotAnOffer, you can book a 1h resume review session with resume coaches who have worked as recruiters or interviewers at top companies such as Google, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, etc.

You can search by company, role, specialty, timezone, etc, and book a timeslot that suits you. We have well over 100 resume coaches on the platform, so plenty to choose from.