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The differences between recruiters and staffing specialists 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 staffing specialist. Additionally, a recruiter has an average salary of $51,374, which is higher than the $44,939 average annual salary of a staffing specialist.
The top three skills for a recruiter include applicant tracking systems, customer service and human resources. The most important skills for a staffing specialist are background checks, human resources, and data entry.
| Recruiter | Staffing Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,374 | $44,939 |
| Hourly rate | $24.70 | $21.61 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 37,954 | 53,459 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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 staffing specialist is responsible for overseeing the staffing needs of an organization. Staffing specialists work closely with the department heads and hiring managers for their staffing requirements and qualifications. They advertise job hirings on the company's online job board and other communication platforms. A staffing specialist carefully evaluates the applicants' documents, reaching out to potential candidates for scheduling interviews and assessments. A staffing specialist must have excellent knowledge of the human resources disciplines, following the policies and procedures of hiring candidates, and assist them during onboarding.
Recruiters and staffing specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recruiter | Staffing Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,374 | $44,939 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $74,000 | Between $30,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ZS |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a recruiter and a staffing specialist in terms of educational background:
| Recruiter | Staffing Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between recruiters' and staffing specialists' demographics:
| Recruiter | Staffing Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% | Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |