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Job outlook for college recruiters in the United States
Are college recruiter jobs in demand?
College recruiter job and salary trends over time
College recruiter jobs over time
College recruiter job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 967 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 846 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 826 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 775 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 723 | 0.00% |
Average college recruiter salary over time
College recruiter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,116 | $24.58 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $49,852 | $23.97 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $49,015 | $23.56 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $48,588 | $23.36 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $47,646 | $22.91 | +1.4% |
College recruiter jobs by state
Most common states for college recruiters
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 112 | 16% |
| 2 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 228 | 6% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 41 | 6% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 368 | 5% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 290 | 5% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 64 | 5% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 48 | 5% |
| 8 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 462 | 4% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 322 | 4% |
| 10 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 273 | 4% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 116 | 4% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 68 | 4% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 39 | 4% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 27 | 4% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 23 | 4% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,271 | 3% |
| 17 | New York | 19,849,399 | 537 | 3% |
| 18 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 293 | 3% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 114 | 3% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 59 | 3% |
Most common cities for college recruiters
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Lauderdale | 1 | 1% | $36,314 |
| 2 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $54,917 |
| 3 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $40,415 |
| 4 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $39,576 |
| 5 | Tampa | 1 | 0% | $38,325 |
College Recruiter job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of college recruiter experts
Muhlenberg College
The Pennsylvania State University
East Tennessee State University
Ryan Smolko
Associate Director, Career CenterMuhlenberg College
The Career Center at Muhlenberg College
What technical skills for a College Recruiter stand out to employers?
Ryan Smolko: Technical skills vary by industry and the technical skills needed today are not those that will be needed five or even one year from now. Adaptability is key to staying relevant in their career both now and in the future. O*Net is a great resource for students to see technical skills commonly used in their jobs of interest.
The technical skills everyone should be continually working on are Excel/Tableau and Canva/PowerPoint. Working with large amounts of data is almost universal in today's economy regardless of industry or position. You can also have the best data in the world but if you can't present it in a dynamic way it won't be seen which is why being well versed in presentation and design tools can be a big advantage.
What skills stand out on College Recruiter resumes?
Elaine Farndale Ph.D.: An ability to be flexible and adaptable has to be a number one priority for most positions, particularly HR. This might be related to geographic flexibility, i.e., being willing to go where skills are needed, or flexibility of working hours or place of work (in an office or working from home). We have learned a lot about the advantages (e.g., reduced office space, meeting, and travel costs) and disadvantages (e.g., losing connections with co-workers, more complex people management, and productivity challenges) of remote working so businesses will be trying to continue to keep the advantages while removing the disadvantages once people can work on-site as well as remotely. HR professionals who can advise businesses through this balancing act will be invaluable.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for College Recruiters to find work opportunities?
Elaine Farndale Ph.D.: The answer will lie in which states can recover from the pandemic the quickest, which is still very much unknown.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the College Recruiter job market given the pandemic?
Dr. James Lampley: Online delivery. Before the pandemic, we were already seeing a trend to more online programs. After we return to "normal" we will see online courses and online programs expand exponentially.