Resources/Salaries/Recruiter
Recruiter Salary 2027: Median $75,940, Agency vs In House and Pay by Industry
Recruiters fall in the government's human resources specialists group, which earned a median of $75,940 in May 2025. What agency, corporate, technical and healthcare recruiters earn, how commission works and which industries pay most.
- $75,940median pay
- $47,180lowest 10%
- $128,720highest 10%
Quick answer: Recruiters are counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as human resources specialists, a group whose median annual wage was $75,940 in May 2025. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $47,180 and the highest paid 10 percent more than $128,720. Agency recruiters on commission can earn well above or below those figures depending on what they bill.
BLS defines human resources specialists as people who recruit, screen, interview or place workers, so recruiters sit right in this group alongside HR generalists. There is no separate government figure for technical, healthcare or executive recruiters. This page uses the official numbers and explains, from a working recruiter's view, how each type of recruiter tends to compare.
How much does a recruiter make?
Half of human resources specialists earned more than $75,940 and half earned less. For recruiters the spread is wider than the table suggests, because many agency recruiters are paid a modest base plus commission. A strong agency year can land far above the 90th percentile, and a slow one below the median.
| Measure | Annual pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $47,180 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $75,940 |
| Highest 10% earn more than | $128,720 |
BLS wages include commissions and bonuses tied to production but exclude the self employed, so independent recruiters who run their own desk are not counted.
Which industries pay recruiters the most?
Employment services is the BLS industry for staffing and recruiting agencies, and it had the lowest median of the top five at $60,550. That figure is mostly base pay plus whatever commission was paid in the survey period, which is one reason in house recruiters at professional services firms and corporate headquarters show higher medians.
| Industry | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $84,100 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $82,800 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $79,920 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | $64,130 |
| Employment services | $60,550 |
Is demand for recruiters growing?
BLS projects about 6 percent growth for human resources specialists from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 73,700 openings a year. Recruiting demand rises and falls with hiring, so agency desks feel slowdowns first.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Jobs in the US | 939,700 (2025, all human resources specialists) |
| Projected growth | About 6 percent, 2025 to 2035 |
| Openings per year (average) | About 73,700 a year |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree |
| Work experience | None required for entry |
Do agency recruiters earn more than in house recruiters?
They can, but with more risk. In house recruiters are usually salaried with an annual bonus, so pay is steady. Agency recruiters are usually paid a lower base plus a share of the placement fees they bill. The split, thresholds and draws vary a lot from firm to firm, so ask for the commission plan in writing before you accept. Our placement fee calculator shows what a placement bills, and our guide to agency vs in house covers the trade off in depth.
| Type | How pay usually works | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| In house or corporate | Salary plus annual bonus | Company size, industry, seniority |
| Agency, contingent | Base plus commission on placements | Fees billed, commission split |
| Agency, retained or executive | Base plus share of retainers | Client relationships, search fees |
| Contract or RPO | Hourly or day rate | Length of contract, specialty |
Which recruiters earn the most?
Specialty matters as much as employer type. From what we see in the market, without a separate government figure for each:
- Technical recruiters hiring engineers and data roles usually earn above the median
- Executive search recruiters can earn at or above the top of the range through retainers
- Healthcare and physician recruiters vary widely, with physician recruiting often paying more than nurse staffing
- High volume and hourly recruiters usually sit below the median
- Recruiting coordinators and sourcers start lower and move up as they take on full cycle recruiting
How do recruiters raise their pay?
- Specialize in a hard to fill niche such as engineering, healthcare or executive roles
- Move from coordinator or sourcer to full cycle recruiter
- Learn business development if you are in an agency
- Use AI and automation to carry more requisitions without dropping quality
- Step up to recruiting manager or talent acquisition leader
Frequently asked questions
How much do recruiters make a year?
Recruiters are counted as human resources specialists by BLS, who earned a median of $75,940 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent under $47,180 and the highest 10 percent over $128,720. Agency recruiters on commission can earn well outside that range.
Do recruiters get paid commission?
Agency recruiters usually do, on top of a base salary. In house recruiters are usually salaried with an annual bonus.
What does a technical recruiter make?
There is no separate government figure. Technical recruiters generally earn above the median for HR specialists because engineering and data roles are harder to fill and bill higher fees.
Which industry pays recruiters the most?
Among the top employers of HR specialists, government had the highest median at $84,100 and professional services $82,800. Employment services, the staffing agency industry, had $60,550 before considering big commission years.
Is recruiting a good career?
BLS projects about 6 percent growth and 73,700 openings a year for HR specialists from 2025 to 2035. See our recruiter career guide for paths and titles.
Sources
Written by recruiters at Work Insiders. Updated November 4, 2026. How we make money.