What outplacement costs in Australia

Outplacement in Australia usually costs somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars per person, and the price depends mostly on how much one-to-one coaching time is included. One provider that publishes its prices, for example, lists A$1,300 to A$2,600 per person for a two to four session programme (published on that provider's own website, read 26 October 2026). Changing Careers charges A$599 per person for twelve weeks. Some providers do not publish prices and quote per proposal, so the useful question is less "what does it cost" than "what does each person actually get for it".

This guide explains what outplacement usually includes, how it is priced, what moves the price, and the questions to ask before you sign. It is written for the HR manager or business owner choosing support for people being made redundant.

What outplacement is

Outplacement is help, paid for by the employer, for a person whose role is ending to find their next one. It usually covers some mix of:

working out which roles the person could move into
rewriting their resume, and tailoring it to particular jobs
cover letters and job applications
interview practice and feedback
coaching sessions, one to one or in groups
help with LinkedIn and job search

It is not a job placement service. No honest provider can promise anyone a job, and a provider that does is selling you comfort, not help.

Do you have to offer it?

No. The Fair Work Act does not require employers to provide outplacement. Your legal duties in a redundancy are consultation where an award or agreement requires it, notice or pay instead of notice, redundancy pay where it applies, and the final pay (Fair Work Ombudsman).

Check three places before you decide it is optional for you, though. An enterprise agreement can require it. A company policy or employment contract can promise it. And during consultation, offering support for finding new work is one of the ways an employer can reduce the effect of a redundancy, which the Fair Work Ombudsman encourages.

How outplacement is priced

Prices are usually set in one of four ways:

Per person, fixed package. A set price for a defined programme. Easy to approve and compare.
Per session or by the hour. You pay for coaching time. The total depends on how many sessions each person uses.
By seniority. Executive programmes cost more than programmes for frontline staff, mostly because they include more coaching time.
Group programmes. Workshops for many people at once, often onsite, priced per session rather than per person.

Published prices

Here is what two providers publish, read on 26 October 2026:

One provider that publishes its prices, for example: A$1,300 to A$2,600 per person, for two to four coaching sessions, at entry to mid level.
Changing Careers: A$599 per person, once, invoiced to your company with 30 day terms. Each person gets twelve weeks of help: where they stand against the Australian roles they are already close to, a targeted resume, every application written against a real job ad, interview practice out loud with feedback, and up to three reviews of their targeted resumes or applications by a real Australian career coach.

The two are not the same product. Coaching sessions give a person time with one adult who listens. Twelve weeks of tools plus a coach who reviews their written work gives them more output for less money, with less face time. Decide which your people need.

What moves the price

When you compare quotes, these are the things that make one programme cost more than another:

Hours of one-to-one coaching. The biggest single driver.
Length. A month of support costs less than six months.
Format. Face to face costs more than online.
Seniority. Executive programmes are priced higher.
Group size. Some providers discount for larger groups or will not quote for small ones.

What to ask before you sign

Ask every provider the same questions, in writing:

What exactly does each person get, in hours, sessions and weeks?
Who does the coaching, and what are their qualifications?
When does the support start, and does it start before the person's last day?
What does the person keep at the end, such as their resume and applications?
What will you report to us, and what stays private between the person and the coach?
What happens if someone never uses their place? Is there a refund or swap?
Is there a minimum number of people?
How is it invoiced, and on what terms?
Does it suit the roles we are cutting? Support built for executives may not fit a contact centre team.

On question 5, insist on privacy. People use support more when they know their employer cannot see what they write or which jobs they apply for.

Is it worth it?

Outplacement does not change what you legally owe. It changes how the redundancy lands: for the person leaving, who gets real help at a hard time, and for the people who stay, who watch how their colleagues are treated. Set its cost beside the notice and redundancy pay you are already paying (Fair Work Ombudsman fact sheet) and it is usually a small addition.

If you want a fixed price you can approve today, see outplacement from Changing Careers.

Common questions

How much does outplacement cost in Australia?

Outplacement in Australia usually costs between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars per person, and the price depends mostly on how much one-to-one coaching time is included.

Do employers have to provide outplacement?

The Fair Work Act does not require outplacement, but an enterprise agreement, a company policy or an employment contract can, so check all three before treating it as optional.

What should an employer ask an outplacement provider?

Ask what each person gets in hours, sessions and weeks, who does the coaching, when support starts, what the person keeps, what is reported to you, what happens to unused places, and how it is invoiced.

What does outplacement from Changing Careers cost?

Changing Careers charges A$599 per person, once, invoiced to the employer with 30 day terms, and each person gets twelve weeks of help with their next role, including reviews by a real Australian career coach.