Recruiter Salary: How Much Can a Recruiter Make?

Key takeaways

Recruiters typically earn above-average salaries, but the amount you can expect to make depends on factors like your experience level and location.

• The annual median total pay for recruiters, which includes base salary and additional pay, is $110,000, according to Glassdoor [1].

• Richmond, Boston, and Washington are among the top-paying cities for recruiters.

• You can typically get a higher salary as a recruiter after earning a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as human resources or business communications, as compared to having a high school diploma or an associate degree.

Learn more about what recruiters earn and the factors that can influence how much you make. Afterward, build your recruiting skills with the ADP AIRS® Entry-Level Recruiter Professional Certificate. Beginner-friendly, this program covers best practices for identifying, locating, and communicating with candidates as well as supporting the recruiting and hiring process.

What is a recruiter?

Recruiters oversee an organization’s job search process, focusing on attracting candidates, screening applicants, and conducting interviews. As a recruiter, you’ll work as part of an organization’s human resources (HR) team, helping individuals find a job that suits their skills and experience. You may specialize in a specific field, such as technology or business, which allows you to develop your knowledge of the field while remaining updated regarding trends in the industry. Recruiters help candidates move through the job search process, from the initial contact to the final offer.

Recruiters work in various fields. Larger organizations may hire in-house recruiters as part of their HR team to oversee their hiring process. Other recruiters may work for agencies and specialize in connecting job seekers in a specific field with organizations that are hiring. 

How much does a recruiter make?

Leading job search sites show that the typical recruiter's salary ranges from $51,374 [2] to $110,000 [1]. Consider these average annual salaries for recruiters [1, 2, 3, 4]:

*Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Your exact salary will depend on several factors, including where you live, the industry in which you work, and your education and experience. 

Factors that may affect recruiter salary 

Various factors can impact your recruiter salary, so it’s important to consider them as you pursue this career. Explore the most influential factors below.

Education

Your education can influence how much you earn as a recruiter. In 2024, individuals with a bachelor’s degree had median weekly earnings of $1,543 compared to those with an associate degree, who earned $1,099, and those with a high school diploma, who earned $930 [5].

Zippia reports that the majority (69 percent) of recruiters have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 12 percent with an associate degree, 9 percent with a master’s degree, and 6 percent with a high school diploma [6]. If you want to work in this industry, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as human resources or business communications. To enhance your qualifications, you may also consider earning a certification, such as the AIRS Professional Recruiter Certification (PRC) or the American Staffing Association’s Certified Staffing Professional credential.

Experience

The longer you work as a recruiter, the more you may earn. Consider these median annual total salaries based on years of experience [1]:

• 0–1 year of experience: $89,000

• 1–3 years of experience: $104,000

• 4–6 years of experience: $118,000

• 7–9 years of experience: $132,000

• 10–14 years of experience: $145,000

• 15+ years of experience: $161,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of June 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Industry

Your industry can also influence how much you earn as a recruiter. Often, working as a recruiter in an industry with a high demand for skilled workers can translate to an increase in pay. Information technology is the fastest-growing sector in the US, with many in-demand positions. As a result, tech recruiters may enjoy higher earnings. Other popular industries for recruiters include energy, life sciences, and marketing.

Location

Location also plays a role in your recruiter salary, so where you live may, in part, dictate how much you earn. The top-paying states for recruiters include Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, California, Washington, and New Jersey [2]. You can also consider the following cities, which offer the 10 highest average annual salaries for recruiters nationally [2]:

1. Richmond, CA: $71,994

2. Boston, MA: $66,273

3. Washington, DC: $65,815

4. Seattle, WA: $64,601

5. Hoboken, NJ: $64,011

6. Albany, NY: $63,134

7. Albany, OR: $59,741

8. Portland, ME: $57,078

9. Richmond, VA: $57,041

10. Baltimore, MD: $56,159

Read more: What Is a Good Salary?

Recruiter job outlook

The job outlook for recruiters is good. Opportunities for human resources specialists, which include recruiters, should grow by 6 percent between 2024 and 2034, representing faster-than-average job growth [7]. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 81,800 annual job openings in the field during the forecast period, offering many opportunities for you to secure a position [7].

Related job titles

A recruiter is one of several members of an organization’s human resources team, and a few related job titles are staffing manager, talent coordinator, and human resources specialist. If you’re interested in the HR field, you may consider a number of related positions that share similar characteristics and job duties with recruiters. Find a role that aligns with your experience, interests, and future career goals.

Staffing manager

As a part of the HR team, staffing managers work to ensure their organization has the right employees to keep company operations running smoothly. Staffing involves hiring and firing, recruiting potential employees, and training current ones. As a staffing manager, you may also have to handle disciplinary issues with employees.

While staffing managers and recruiters work to attract new employees, staffing managers’ responsibilities extend beyond the hiring process into client relations, payroll, and performance.

Talent coordinator

Talent coordinators work in the entertainment industry, finding and booking actors and other artists for different projects. As a talent coordinator, you’ll identify talent for various roles, book and oversee auditions, and recommend individuals to the production team. You may also be responsible for negotiating and finalizing contracts and serving as a liaison between the production team and the talent. This position is similar to a recruiter in that it involves attracting and securing candidates within a specific niche, which, in this case, is entertainment. 

Human resources specialist

Human resources specialists share many job similarities with recruiters. In this role, you’re responsible for identifying an organization’s employment needs, attracting and evaluating candidates, and conducting interviews and reference checks. You may also specialize in a specific area of HR, such as risk management, training and development, or employee and labor relations. This broad job category may include both human resource generalists (those who oversee many HR tasks, including recruitment, training, benefits, and payroll) as well as recruiters.

Is HR a stressful job?

HR roles often involve managing people and resolving conflicts between employees, supervisors, and upper management. Meeting hiring deadlines is another critical challenge in an HR role. These responsibilities can sometimes lead to burnout or stress. However, if you have strong organizational, time management, and communication skills, you may find the role more manageable and rewarding.

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