How Much Does Resume Writing Cost?

The following post explores the question: How Much Does Resume Writing Cost?

Working with a good Resume Writer is worth every penny. It’s an investment in yourself and your job search. But, why do some services charge $99 while others cost $1,500 or more? It’s a fair question.

Read: Things to Consider When Hiring a Resume Writer

Related: Best and Worst Resume Services on BBB

Resume Writing prices are all over the map. The range reflects huge differences in business models, writer expertise, service quality, and how much time is actually spent on your project.

Here’s what you need to know.

Resume Writing is a Misunderstood Art

Have you ever looked at a $500 price tag for a Resume and thought, how is this justified? At first, the $500 price tag can feel steep. But, once you factor everything in, it starts to make sense.

Part of the reason Resume Writing seems “expensive”, is because most people don’t understand what’s involved. Most people assume it’s easy. However, the process of building an ATS-friendly and visually appealing Resume is a difficult practice that takes time, effort, and expertise.

The best Resume Writers are part interviewer, part strategist, part storyteller. They ask the right questions, surface key accomplishments, and know how to translate a complex background into a compelling document.

A typical project often takes 8–10 hours from start to finish, including client consultation, research, drafting, and revisions. When you break down a $500 fee across that time, it equates to a fairly modest hourly wage.

Do It Yourself

If you’re trying to build an ATS-friendly and visually appealing Resume without spending any money, it’s totally doable. There’s an entire world of free resources available online to help you do it yourself.

Lots of Resume Builders that are free or cheap ($5-$10). There are sites like Distinctive Resume Templates that sell ATS-friendly templates. Of course, there’s plenty of resources on the internet including YouTube tutorials and AI tools like Grok, Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, and Humanize AI for refining AI-generated text.

But here’s the catch: all of these options still require you to put forth a lot of effort.

Even with AI, you’re the one driving the process. These tools can’t magically generate an effective Resume. You need to provide it with clear input. That part is where professional assistance is super helpful.

Bottom line: The tools are out there, but it takes real work. DIY is great for some, but many find themselves spinning their wheels and getting lost in a sea of generic advice when trying to do it alone.

Cheap ($99 or Less)

If you’re willing to pay for help but you’re on a tight budget, there are lots of Resume Services for $99 or less.

These are services that advertise professional-quality Resumes at a fraction of the standard price. On the surface, they seem like a great deal. But you know what they say – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

There are also freelancers on sites like Fiverr, often based overseas, who will build your Resume for as little as $5 to $10. These services usually rely on basic templates and fast turnaround.

Caveat emptor (buyer beware).

Budget-Friendly ($200 to $400)

Some of the most well-known Resume Writing companies in the industry (like TopResume and ZipJob) are in this price range. They run high-volume operations with big advertising budgets and large teams.

The problem is Resume Writing doesn’t scale well. It’s a complex, nuanced task that requires time, skill, and human judgment. It’s not meant for an assembly-line. At these rates, companies don’t pay writers much.

Which means they operate on volume by serving as many clients as possible, as quickly as possible. Writers are often juggling multiple projects at once. This is why companies like ZipJob have such low reviews.

In many cases, these companies turn to low-cost labor overseas. And increasingly, you can expect them to lean on AI tools to fill in the gaps. That might keep costs down, but it doesn’t serve your best interests.

Mid-Range ($500 to $900)

This is the sweet spot for many professionals. It’s where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

At this level, you’re typically working one-on-one with an experienced Resume Writer who takes the time to understand your situation. You’re not just getting formatting (you’re getting attention to detail).

Most services in this range hire U.S.-based, native English speaking, certified Resume Writers. They’re paid fairly, which means they are incentivized to do good work and it’s more likely to be a collaborative process.

Some of the Top BBB-rated Resume Services operate in this price range. For most mid-career and senior-level job seekers, this tier offers a happy medium of service, quality, and value.

High-End ($1,000+)

The $1,000+ services typically cater to senior executives targeting salaries of $175K+ annually.

Quite naturally, there are lots of Resume Writing firms that dedicate their entire focus exclusively to serving executive clients. The higher salary draws in a lot of firms that seek to serve executive-level clients.

But, for all the pomp and circumstance of working with an executive service, is it worth it? Hard to say. Here’s a List of Executive Resume Writing Services if you’re interested in exploring some options.

The Economics of Resume Writing (Value of $500)

It’s important to take time to understand the true economic reality of your investment in a Resume Writing service. Let’s do the math! Here’s what happens when you spend $500 on a Resume.

(a) The business owner owes taxes on that transaction. Depending on the city and state where the business resides, this can range from the teens all the way up to 40% – 50%. For the purposes of this example, we’ll estimate a simple 25% in tax obligations (25% of $500 = $125).

That leaves $375.00

(b) The business owner has overhead costs that eat into profits. Consider all the costs of running an e-commerce business. Expenses such as technology, advertising, credentialing, and more quickly add up. Let’s approximate a flat 20% for business costs (20% of $500 = $100).

That leaves $275.00

After accounting for taxes and business expenses, this might seem like a decent amount. However, factoring in that a normal project requires 8-10 hours of work, we quickly see that it’s actually quite modest.

Also, being a Resume Writer is a ‘creative’ role that can’t be done eight hours per day five days a week and very few Resume Writers are fortunate enough to earn a salary or benefits.

In addition, this breakdown doesn’t account for businesses with employees (such as a large team of Resume Writers). With a large team, comes multiple layers and more complexity to the business and revenue structure.

Bottom Line

Obviously, this is a rough example with many unaccounted factors. The bottom line is your $500 investment (which is a lot of money!) gets diluted quickly when factoring in business expenses and Uncle Sam’s cut.

Clarification’s Sake

Just a word of clarification. The rates listed above are specific to Resumes only. It doesn’t factor in the cost of other career services like LinkedIn profiles, Career Counseling, and more.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope this article helps you answer the question ‘How Much Does Resume Writing Cost’? In reality, a good Resume Writer is worth every penny. Whether you go the DIY route, work with a mid-range provider, or invest in a high-end service, the key is understanding the trade-offs.

If you’re interested in getting professional assistance from an A+ BBB-rated service that has earned multiple consecutive Complaint Free Awards, please fill out the Contact Us form or Submit Your Resume for a risk-free evaluation. We look forward to hearing from you!