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Professional recruiter vs executive recruiter

The differences between professional recruiters and executive recruiters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a professional recruiter and an executive recruiter. Additionally, an executive recruiter has an average salary of $79,755, which is higher than the $54,615 average annual salary of a professional recruiter.

The top three skills for a professional recruiter include applicant tracking systems, human resources and background checks. The most important skills for an executive recruiter are customer service, applicant tracking systems, and human resources.

Professional recruiter vs executive recruiter overview

Professional RecruiterExecutive Recruiter
Yearly salary$54,615$79,755
Hourly rate$26.26$38.34
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs74,71194,248
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a professional recruiter do?

A professional recruiter is responsible for finding qualified candidates for a job opening and ensuring that the demands of the employer and the employee are met throughout the recruitment process. Your duties will typically include sourcing, pre-screening, and presenting qualified candidates to the recruitment manager, soliciting employee referrals, and conducting background and reference checks. Additionally, you are expected to manage and oversee the job offer process, ensure the delivery of an exceptional job candidate experience, and facilitate employee onboarding.

What does an executive recruiter do?

Often working for recruiting agencies, an executive recruiter is primarily in charge of interviewing and hiring job applicants. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering candidates' applications and requirements, verifying documents and reaching out to references, and conducting a background check, all to ensure that the potential hires are suitable for their designated positions. An executive recruiter must also post job advertisements in different areas such as online platforms, coordinate with the hiring team, and offer job positions to the most suitable candidates. Furthermore, they may also develop training programs for new employees, in adherence to company policies and regulations.

Professional recruiter vs executive recruiter salary

Professional recruiters and executive recruiters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional RecruiterExecutive Recruiter
Average salary$54,615$79,755
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $74,000Between $51,000 And $122,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkWashington
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncMeta
Best paying industryInsuranceHealth Care

Differences between professional recruiter and executive recruiter education

There are a few differences between a professional recruiter and an executive recruiter in terms of educational background:

Professional RecruiterExecutive Recruiter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Professional recruiter vs executive recruiter demographics

Here are the differences between professional recruiters' and executive recruiters' demographics:

Professional RecruiterExecutive Recruiter
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 43.2% Female, 56.8%Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.2% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between professional recruiter and executive recruiter duties and responsibilities

Professional recruiter example responsibilities.

  • Manage all phases of the iCIMS - iRecruiter applicant tracking system process and source/recruit qualify internal and external management candidates.
  • Manage records of sales activities and follow-up on requirements by utilizing office specific HRIS technology.
  • Utilize internal database, LinkedIn (or other social media), job boards and other networks to identify qualify candidates.
  • Update and verify all information in ATS.
  • Perform recruitment metrics data analysis and reporting for business partners and team members using recruiting system and PeopleSoft HRIS.
  • Research and recruit potential employees through LinkedIn
  • Show more

Executive recruiter example responsibilities.

  • Create and manage company's social media pages (Facebook & LinkedIn).
  • Recruit a team of QA experts to do framework lead solution as a testing bed foundation for quarterly regression testing.
  • Utilize Linkedin, Google, Facebook, and other search engines to seek out qualify candidates.
  • Negotiate all salaries, rates and fees with clients, documenting all activity with precision into CRM system.
  • Prepare for the search process by identifying technical requirements and seeking candidates through networking, ATS database and internet research.
  • Participate in project teams to improve the applicant tracking system (ATS) and the employee referral program (ERP).
  • Show more

Professional recruiter vs executive recruiter skills

Common professional recruiter skills
  • Applicant Tracking Systems, 34%
  • Human Resources, 6%
  • Background Checks, 6%
  • Reference Checks, 4%
  • Recruitment Process, 3%
  • Work Ethic, 3%
Common executive recruiter skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Applicant Tracking Systems, 13%
  • Human Resources, 12%
  • Logistics, 7%
  • Healthcare, 7%
  • Direct Hire, 4%

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