Tech Recruiter Salaries in 2023: How Much Can You Really Earn?
A breakdown of average pay for recruiting roles at different experience levels and geographic locations in the tech industry.
As a tech recruiter, you play a vital role in finding top tech talent and making key hiring decisions. But with the high demand for technical skills and competitive job market, how much can you really earn in this rapidly growing profession?
National Average Salaries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary for all recruiters across industries in the United States was $62,690 as of May 2021. However, tech recruiters who specialize in high demand fields like software engineering, product management, cybersecurity and data science tend to earn much more than this national average.
Some specific national average tech recruiter salary benchmarks include:
- Entry Level (<2 years experience): $50,000 — $65,000
- Mid-Level (2–5 years experience): $70,000 — $85,000
- Senior Level (5–10 years experience): $85,000 — $110,000
- Director/Leadership (>10 years experience): $110,000 — $150,000
For example, PayScale data shows entry level tech recruitersat the 25th percentile earning $51,000, while senior level tech recruiters at the 75th percentile earn up to $120,670 per year.
Some specific national average tech recruiter salary benchmarks include: — Entry Level (<2 years experience): $50,000 — $65,000 — Mid-Level (2–5 years experience): $70,000 — $85,000 — Senior Level (5–10 years experience): $85,000 — $110,000 — Director/Leadership (>10 years experience): $110,000 — $150,000 For example, PayScale data shows entry level tech recruiters at the 25th percentile earning $51,000, while senior level tech recruiters at the 75th percentile earn up to $120,670 per year.
According to recruiting association surveys, over 53% of companies increased tech recruiter compensation in 2022 amidst the hyper-competitive hiring landscape. This upward salary trend is expected to continue in 2023.
Salaries by Location
Geographic location is another major factor impacting tech recruiter pay. Living expenses and prevailing wages for tech talent tend to be significantly higher in major tech hubs.
Some of the top paying metro areas for tech recruiters and their average salary ranges include:
- San Francisco Bay Area: $90,000 — $135,000
- Seattle: $80,000 — $115,000
- New York City: $85,000 — $120,000
- Boston: $80,000 — $110,000
- Austin: $75,000 — $100,000
- Los Angeles: $75,000 — $105,000
- Remote: $70,000 — $95,000
For example, the average tech recruiter salary in the Bay Area is $108,807 according to recent Glassdoor data. Meanwhile the average in Atlanta is $68,807 demonstrating the sizable geographical differences.
According to recruiting association surveys, over 53% of companies increased tech recruiter compensation in 2022 amidst the hyper-competitive hiring landscape.
A Robert Half report found tech recruiters in large metro markets earn 7–20% higher pay compared to national averages or secondary markets. Location factors heavily into compensation.
Factors Driving Pay
Besides experience and location, here are some other key factors that influence tech recruiting salaries:
- Specialization — Recruiters focusing on high demand niche skills like AI/ML, cybersecurity, fintech or blockchain can earn up to 20% more than generalist counterparts.
- Company & Funding — Recruiters at publicly traded tech giants earn about 15% more than startups on average according to Hired.com data. Well-funded startups tend to pay above average as well.
- Bonuses & Commissions — Many recruiters receive bonuses up to $5,000 for hitting goals plus 5–15% commission on filled roles. These can add $10-$30k+ to total comp.
- Negotiation Skills — Like any job, negotiating higher pay during hiring or promotion cycles leads to substantially higher lifetime earnings. Mastering negotiation can boost tech recruiting salaries 10–20%.
- Soft Skills & Relationships — Recruiting is a “people business”. Strong communication, emotional intelligence, problem solving and relationship building strongly influence career progression and pay over time.
- Education Background — While not always required, recruiters holding degrees in HR, psychology or business tend to earn up to 10% more over their careers according to PayScale.
Career Growth Outlook
As the tech industry boom continues, skilled recruiting professionals remain in extremely high demand. This bodes very well for long-term career growth and earnings potential.
With 5+ years of experience at marquee companies, transitioning into senior level or Director roles with salaries exceeding $150k is quite achievable. For the most ambitious recruiters, roles like Chief Talent Officer at a large company or founding a successful recruiting consultancy firm represent potential paths to over $300k+ in annual income.
This upward salary trend is expected to continue in 2023.
According to LinkedIn data, tech recruiter job openings have grown over 50% in the past 5 years as companies desperately compete for talent. All signs point to tech recruiting remaining a very high-growth, lucrative profession for years to come.
Overall, a career as a tech recruiter offers strong compensation packages with upside, especially in major tech hubs and high demand fields. While actual earnings depend on experience, location, skills and negotiation abilities, the long-term outlook for achieving substantial pay is very bright.
