Do recruiters get paid well?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

Yes, recruiters get paid well. Most recruiters earn a base salary, but the largest part of their income is based on commissions. Salary is also dependent on whether you are an external recruiter or an internal recruiter.

External recruiters, or recruiters that essentially work for themselves, have no limit to how much money they can make; whereas, internal recruiters, or recruiters that work as an employee for a company, generally have a cap on how much compensation they receive.

External recruiters can also make more due to recruitment fees. An external recruiter does not earn a salary specifically. Their income is based on how many positions they can fill, which results in a percentage of the candidate's first year's salary being paid to the recruiter within the first thirty to ninety days after the candidate's employment.

An internal recruiter's salary averages about $50,000, and an external recruiter can make upwards of $200,000 or more per year.