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If you are a Recruiter, companies and organizations trust you with finding the right staff for their open positions. Recruiters create and maintain an extensive network of industry contacts, association and trade group members, company employees, and social media groups to maximize the pool of potential candidates.

As a recruiter, you will work with a hiring manager to come up with recruiting plans using traditional or innovative sourcing strategies to discover talent locally, nationally, or internationally. You will create and post job descriptions and screen candidates to make sure they have the right qualifications. You will interview and select them and mediate the negotiation process with the employer. Handling administrative tasks and keeping records will be your job as well.

Recruiters should have great people's skills and understand the clients' requirements very thoroughly. Making sure the candidate selected is a good fit saves the employer a surprising amount of money.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a recruiter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.98 an hour? That's $54,028 a year!

Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 33,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What Does a Recruiter Do

There are certain skills that many recruiters have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, detail oriented and interpersonal skills.

Learn more about what a Recruiter does

How To Become a Recruiter

If you're interested in becoming a recruiter, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 68.7% of recruiters have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 9.2% of recruiters have master's degrees. Even though most recruiters have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a recruiter. When we researched the most common majors for a recruiter, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on recruiter resumes include master's degree degrees or high school diploma degrees.

You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a recruiter. In fact, many recruiter jobs require experience in a role such as customer service representative. Meanwhile, many recruiters also have previous career experience in roles such as human resources coordinator or administrative assistant.

Recruiter Career Paths

Average Salary for a Recruiter

Recruiters in America make an average salary of $54,028 per year or $26 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $77,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $37,000 per year.
Average Recruiter Salary
$54,028 Yearly
$25.98 hourly
$37,000
10 %
$54,000
Median
$77,000
90 %

What Am I Worth?

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Recruiter Education

Recruiter Majors

29.3 %

Recruiter Degrees

Bachelors

68.7 %

Associate

12.2 %

Masters

9.2 %

Top Colleges for Recruiters

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-State Tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-State Tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974

Top Skills For a Recruiter

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.5% of recruiters listed potential candidates on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and detail oriented are important as well.

  • Potential Candidates, 12.5%
  • Customer Service, 8.0%
  • Job Descriptions, 8.0%
  • Recruitment Process, 7.9%
  • Human Resources, 5.9%
  • Other Skills, 57.7%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Recruiter Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Recruiter templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Recruiter resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Recruiter Demographics

Recruiter Gender Distribution

Female
Female
60%
Male
Male
40%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among recruiters, 59.9% of them are women, while 40.1% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among recruiters is White, which makes up 62.1% of all recruiters.

  • The most common foreign language among recruiters is Spanish at 64.8%.

Online Courses For Recruiter That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  The courses listed below are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the course, we may receive a commission.
Recruitment Interviewing Essentials: Interviewing Made Easy
udemy
4.5
(2,292)

Start hiring confidently, interview skilfully & make recruitment decisions professionally. Avoid costly hiring mistakes...

Job Search Success Strategies: Proven Job Hunting Strategies
udemy
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You Want to Land Your Dream Job? Learn How to Impress Recruiters, Beat the Competition and Win Job Interviews!...

[2022] Recruiting: Talent Acquisition & Hiring (Version 3)
udemy
4.5
(4,635)

Be able to hire great people! Learn recruitment in a bestselling recruiting course used by IBM, eBay, Lyft & others...

Show More Recruiter Courses
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Best States For a Recruiter

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a recruiter. The best states for people in this position are Washington, California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Recruiters make the most in Washington with an average salary of $66,314. Whereas in California and Massachusetts, they would average $64,119 and $63,337, respectively. While recruiters would only make an average of $62,757 in Rhode Island, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total Recruiter Jobs:
496
Highest 10% Earn:
$96,000
Location Quotient:
1.41 Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here

2. Rhode Island

Total Recruiter Jobs:
72
Highest 10% Earn:
$89,000
Location Quotient:
1.23 Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here

3. Massachusetts

Total Recruiter Jobs:
502
Highest 10% Earn:
$90,000
Location Quotient:
1.14 Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Full List Of Best States For Recruiters

How Do Recruiter Rate Their Jobs?

Zippia Official Logo

4.0

Recruitment / Consultant • October 2019

4.0

Zippia Official LogoRecruitment / Consultant • October 2019

What do you like the most about working as Recruiter?

I like Bonus and helping people. Sometimes our company cover expanse for networking and meeting. More we do networking more we can earn. Show More

What do you NOT like?

too much pressure. to hire 1 executive vacancy we have to make connections with 100s of people. We work with people and people are sometimes really hard even we are doing our best. After weeks of hard work right before the placement, some firms reject them without any answers Show More

Zippia Official Logo

4.0

Recruiter • August 2019

4.0

Zippia Official LogoRecruiter • August 2019

What do you like the most about working as Recruiter?

Learning about the business and candidate journey Show More

What do you NOT like?

declining under or overqualified candidates Show More

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Top Recruiter Employers

We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ recruiters and discovered their number of recruiter opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Aerotek was the best, especially with an average salary of $46,783. Adecco USA follows up with an average salary of $45,216, and then comes United States Marine Corps with an average of $54,028. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a recruiter. The employers include Veeva Systems, Baker Hughes, and Danaher

Most Common Employers For Recruiter

Rank  Company  Average Salary  Hourly Rate  Job Openings  
1Wells Fargo$62,697$30.14224
2Accenture$62,593$30.09181
3United States Marine Corps$54,028$25.98504
4American Income Life Insurance$54,028$25.98149
5TEKsystems$53,210$25.58132
6Kforce$53,167$25.56196
7Robert Half$52,407$25.20490
8PeopleScout$52,386$25.19177
9Motion Recruitment$52,370$25.18165
10US Air Conditioning Distributors$52,215$25.10145

Recruiter Videos

Becoming a Recruiter FAQs

How long does it take to become a Recruiter?

It takes 5 years of professional experience to become a recruiter. That is the time it takes to learn specific recruiter skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 8 to 10 years years to become a recruiter.

Do recruiters get paid a salary?

Yes, recruiters get paid a salary, in general. This almost always applies to internal recruiters who are exclusively recruiting for the company they work for.

However, there are independent recruiters who are third-party external recruiters working for staffing agencies or are self-employed. External recruiters typically receive a recruitment fee or placement fee.

Do recruiters really get you a job?

Yes, recruiters really get you a job, because they're highly incentivized to do so. It also depends on if you are the right fit for a job that is available. Typically, recruiters will come to you, but it doesn't hurt to reach out if you are specialized and ready to find a new job.

How do I become a recruiter with no experience?

To become a recruiter with no experience, use the background that you come from and apply it as a new recruiter. For example, someone with experience working in the retail industry can apply their knowledge and experience to a retail recruiting position.

How do I get a job with a recruiter?

To get a job with a recruiter, look for easy networking opportunities on Linkedin. You can reach out to a recruiter who is working in your field. If you are looking to get a job through a recruiter, it is important to be clear about what you are looking for.

How hard is it to become a recruiter?

It is not hard to become a recruiter If you are ready to work as a recruiter. Recruiters come from various backgrounds and exist in different industries. If you have a background or strong knowledge of certain industries, you might be in a good position to start there.

Is being a recruiter a bad job?

No, being a recruiter is not a bad job. Recruiters typically love their work. Many recruiters work in specialized fields that they have experience and interest in. It's a great job for people with good communication skills looking for high-income work.

What qualifications do you need to be a recruiter?

There are no qualifications or certifications needed to become a recruiter, but most recruiters have a bachelor's degree. Many recruiters have a background in business, psychology, marketing, or communication.

What type of recruiters makes the most money?

Executive recruiters make the most money in the US. The base annual salary is $93,045, and the average is $119,473 per year. The recruiters who make the most correlate to the industries that earn the most. There is a huge difference in pay structure between Internal Recruiters and External Recruiters.

Hiring Manager vs. Recruiter

A hiring manager is the one that makes a decision with regard to hiring a new employee, while a recruiter is the one identifying candidates and managing the process.

Hiring managers are responsible for evaluating the potential candidates and informing the recruiters of who they would like to have involved in the process. Hiring managers are the ultimate decision-makers and are responsible for vetting the potential candidates.

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