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The differences between recruiters and sourcers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a recruiter and a sourcer. Additionally, a sourcer has an average salary of $65,637, which is higher than the $51,374 average annual salary of a recruiter.
The top three skills for a recruiter include applicant tracking systems, customer service and human resources. The most important skills for a sourcer are applicant tracking systems, HR, and CRM.
| Recruiter | Sourcer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,374 | $65,637 |
| Hourly rate | $24.70 | $31.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 37,954 | 23,229 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Recruiters are responsible for filling up vacancies in the organization. They put up job postings on the company website and other recruitment websites, screen applicants, prospective schedule candidates for interviews, conduct initial interviews, and, should candidates pass the initial interview, endorse them to hiring managers. They act as guides to applicants throughout the whole application process. Upon successful screening and interviewing of applicants, recruiters then guide them through the employment process, usually endorsing them to medical exams and other pre-employment requirements needed. At times, recruiters are responsible for providing job offers to applicants. Recruiters should have a good judge of character, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
A sourcer is responsible for performing recruitment processes proactively, searching for potential candidates across various platforms according to the requirements and qualifications of a hiring department. Sourcers handle lead generation techniques, requiring them to have excellent online navigation and utilization of software tools and applications. They identify the list of candidates and may also connect with them to see if they are interested, responding to their inquiries and concerns, and maintain the talent pool for future vacancies.
Recruiters and sourcers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recruiter | Sourcer | |
| Average salary | $51,374 | $65,637 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $74,000 | Between $45,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a recruiter and a sourcer in terms of educational background:
| Recruiter | Sourcer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between recruiters' and sourcers' demographics:
| Recruiter | Sourcer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |