Recruiter Salary, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 7,123 US job postings by 3,356 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for recruiters: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 7,123 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for recruiters in US job postings is $86,000 a year (1,537 postings from 824 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $62,000 to $127,000.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $68,000 a year (266 postings).
- The skills that most set recruiter postings apart are recruiting, applicant tracking systems, linkedin recruiter.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 3 years of experience.
Recruiter job postings in the US, October 2026
- $86,000
- Median advertised pay (1,537 postings)
- $62,000–$127,000
- Middle 50% of postings
- $68,000
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 7,123
- US job postings from 3,356 employers
How much does a recruiter make?
The median advertised pay is $86,000 a year, from 1,537 US job postings by 824 employers that state pay. One in ten postings offers $162,000 or more.
Advertised pay in 1,537 US recruiter job postings: median $86,000 a year, middle half $62,000 to $127,000.
- Median: $86,000
- 25th percentile: $62,000
- 75th percentile: $127,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $30K–$40K | 3.1% |
| $40K–$50K | 7.9% |
| $50K–$60K | 8.5% |
| $60K–$70K | 12.2% |
| $70K–$80K | 11.1% |
| $80K–$90K | 9.4% |
| $90K–$100K | 8.1% |
| $100K–$110K | 4.9% |
| $110K–$120K | 5.7% |
| $120K–$130K | 5.5% |
| $130K–$140K | 4.3% |
| $140K–$150K | 5.0% |
| $150K–$160K | 3.1% |
| $160K–$170K | 2.9% |
| $170K–$180K | 2.6% |
| $180K–$190K | 2.2% |
| $190K–$200K | 0.5% |
| $200K–$210K | 0.8% |
| $210K–$220K | 0.4% |
| $220K–$230K | 0.4% |
| $230K–$240K | 0.2% |
| $240K–$250K | 0.3% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $29.50 | $23.00–$40.37 | 395 | Recruiting Coordinator, Recruiter, Technical Recruiter |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $100,000 | $70K–$138K | 1,068 | Talent Acquisition Specialist, Recruiter, Technical Recruiter |
| All pay postings, annualised | $86,000 | $62K–$127K | 1,537 | – |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Human Resources Specialists (13-1071) at $76,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a recruiter?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $68,000 a year (266 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $68,000 | 266 |
| 2-4 years | $84,000 | 594 |
| 5+ years | $130,000 | 396 |
Recruiter levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked. Senior recruiters have a median advertised pay of $140,000 a year.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 84.5% | 3 years | $80,000 |
| Senior | 10.2% | 5 years | $140,000 |
Highest-paying recruiter jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter (general) | $73,000 | 401 | 242 |
Recruiter pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $115,000 | $76,000–$150,000 | 283 | 15.4% |
| New York | $115,000 | $73,000–$159,000 | 170 | 9.8% |
Skills employers ask for in recruiter job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 50% |
| Organizational skills | 23% |
| Attention to detail | 20% |
| Interpersonal skills | 19% |
| Microsoft Office | 16% |
| Excel | 14% |
| Recruiting | 12% |
| Word | 9% |
| Work independently | 9% |
| Problem-solving | 8% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set recruiters apart
- Recruiting77.3× as often as in all postings · 12%
- Applicant tracking systems189.9× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Linkedin recruiter229.9× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Talent acquisition125.2× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Recruiting experience204.1× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Full-cycle recruiting experience228.2× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Linkedin42.6× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Relationship-building skills8.6× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Manage multiple priorities3.5× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Proactive3.2× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a recruiter job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a recruiter do?
Employers post these jobs as Talent Acquisition Specialist, Technical Recruiter, Recruiting Coordinator, Talent Acquisition Partner, Talent Acquisition and other titles. The largest specializations are Talent Acquisition Specialist (15%), Technical Recruiter (8%), Talent Acquisition Manager (6%), Recruiting Coordinator (6%), Talent Acquisition Partner (6%), Recruitment Manager (7%).
The closest official occupation is Human Resources Specialists (13-1071.00). Its most important tasks:
- Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
- Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
- Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
- Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a recruiter?
Among 3,100 postings that state a minimum, the median is 3 years. 1% say 0 years and 20% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 3,100 US recruiter job postings: median 3 years, and 20% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 2% |
| 1 yr | 18% |
| 2 yrs | 24% |
| 3-4 yrs | 27% |
| 5-7 yrs | 24% |
| 8-9 yrs | 2% |
| 10+ yrs | 2% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 91%, Part-time 9% of the 724 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a recruiter: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Recruiter | 387 (11.5%) |
| Talent Acquisition Specialist | 338 (10.1%) |
| Technical Recruiter | 222 (6.6%) |
| Recruiting Coordinator | 193 (5.8%) |
| Talent Acquisition Partner | 175 (5.2%) |
| Talent Acquisition | 174 (5.2%) |
| Senior Recruiter | 135 (4.0%) |
| Talent Acquisition Manager | 117 (3.5%) |
| Senior Technical Recruiter | 103 (3.1%) |
| Corporate Recruiter | 92 (2.7%) |
| Talent Acquisition Coordinator | 81 (2.4%) |
| Recruiting Manager | 66 (2.0%) |
| Healthcare Recruiter | 61 (1.8%) |
| Recruiting Specialist | 56 (1.7%) |
| Executive Recruiter | 48 (1.4%) |
| Sales Recruiter | 45 (1.3%) |
| Senior Talent Acquisition Partner | 43 (1.3%) |
| Talent Acquisition Recruiter | 41 (1.2%) |
| HR Recruiter | 38 (1.1%) |
| Sr. Recruiter | 35 (1.0%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Recruiter job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talent Acquisition Specialist | 457 | 338 | – | 2 years | communication, interpersonal skills, organizational skills |
| Technical Recruiter | 296 | 222 | – | – | communication, interpersonal skills, attention to detail |
| Talent Acquisition Partner | 240 | 175 | – | – | communication, organizational skills, interpersonal skills |
| Recruiting Coordinator | 247 | 193 | – | – | communication, attention to detail, organizational skills |
Recruiter compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | $86K | 3 years | 7,123 | – |
| Career Coach | – | 2 years | 617 | 17 |
| Fundraiser | $90K | 4 years | 1,619 | 18 |
| Sales Manager | $120K | 4 years | 11,547 | 16 |
| Admissions Counselor | – | 2 years | 755 | 17 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Career Coach | 17 | – |
| Fundraiser | 18 | $90K |
| Sales Manager | 16 | $120K |
| Admissions Counselor | 17 | – |
| Event Coordinator | 19 | $62K |
| Account Manager | 15 | $118K |
Applying for recruiter jobs?
- Recruiter resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find recruiter jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a recruiter make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.