Referral specialist demographics and statistics in the US
Referral specialist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates referral specialist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our referral specialist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about referral specialists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 13,021 referral specialists currently employed in the United States.
- 84.7% of all referral specialists are women, while 15.3% are men.
- The average referral specialist age is 49 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of referral specialists is White (70.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.0%), Black or African American (9.6%) and Unknown (3.8%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 9% of all referral specialists are LGBT.
- Referral specialists are 75% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Referral specialist demographics by:
Referral specialist gender statistics
84.7% of referral specialists are women and 15.3% of referral specialists are men.
- Female, 84.7%
- Male, 15.3%
Referral specialist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 84.7% |
| Male | 15.3% |
Referral specialist gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$37,464
Female income
$36,851
Referral specialist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in referral specialist positions over time. Currently, 84.7% of referral specialists are female.
Referral specialist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.33% | 89.67% |
| 2011 | 9.94% | 90.06% |
| 2012 | 10.88% | 89.12% |
| 2013 | 10.68% | 89.32% |
| 2014 | 11.15% | 88.85% |
| 2015 | 12.19% | 87.81% |
| 2016 | 12.07% | 87.93% |
| 2017 | 13.15% | 86.85% |
| 2018 | 15.65% | 84.35% |
| 2019 | 9.41% | 90.59% |
| 2020 | 17.52% | 82.48% |
| 2021 | 15.30% | 84.70% |
Referral specialist related jobs gender ratio
We compared referral specialists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, administrative assistant engineering and assistant operator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Escrow Secretary | 3% | 97% |
| Placement Secretary | 3% | 97% |
| Administrative Assistant/Secretary/Receptionist | 4% | 96% |
| Referral Specialist | 15% | 85% |
| Information Technology Assistant | 67% | 33% |
| Assistant Operator | 77% | 23% |
| Administrative Assistant Engineering | 78% | 22% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Referral specialist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among referral specialists is White, which makes up 70.6% of all referral specialists. Comparatively, 12.0% of referral specialists are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of referral specialists are Black or African American.
- White, 70.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.0%
- Black or African American, 9.6%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- Asian, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Referral specialist race
| Referral specialist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 70.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.0% |
| Black or African American | 9.6% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| Asian | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Referral specialist race and ethnicity over time
See how referral specialist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Referral specialist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.50% | 7.11% | 2.71% | 8.70% |
| 2011 | 79.31% | 7.38% | 2.60% | 8.67% |
| 2012 | 79.00% | 7.38% | 2.68% | 8.76% |
| 2013 | 79.06% | 7.00% | 2.88% | 8.94% |
| 2014 | 78.72% | 7.12% | 2.85% | 9.25% |
| 2015 | 78.19% | 7.12% | 2.86% | 9.72% |
| 2016 | 77.49% | 6.99% | 3.21% | 10.05% |
| 2017 | 77.56% | 6.73% | 2.97% | 10.46% |
| 2018 | 70.22% | 11.41% | 4.89% | 12.15% |
| 2019 | 74.51% | 10.80% | 3.35% | 8.96% |
| 2020 | 66.94% | 10.12% | 5.65% | 12.82% |
| 2021 | 70.56% | 9.57% | 3.77% | 11.96% |
Referral specialist wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american referral specialists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino referral specialists have the lowest average salary at $37,260.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $37,554 |
| White | $37,403 |
| Black or African American | $37,630 |
| Asian | $37,475 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $37,260 |
Average referral specialist age
See how the average age of referral specialists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Referral specialist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 50 | |
| White | 45 | 52 |
| Black or African American | 45 | |
| Asian | 52 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 45 |
Referral specialist age breakdown
The average age of referral specialists is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the referral specialist population.
Referral specialist age breakdown
| Referral Specialist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 75% |
| 30-40 years | 18% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Referral specialist educational attainment
The most common degree for referral specialists is bachelor's degree, with 44% of referral specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 44%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 14%
Referral specialists by degree level
| Referral specialist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 44% |
| Associate | 22% |
| High School Diploma | 12% |
| Master's | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 14% |
Referral specialist jobs you might like
Referral specialist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, referral specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $38,294 annually. With a Associate degree, referral specialists earn a median annual income of $37,071 compared to $36,189 for referral specialists with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,189 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,294 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,071 |
Referral specialist employment statistics
Most referral specialists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where referral specialists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where referral specialists work.
Referral specialist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Referral specialist jobs by company type
Employees with the referral specialist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most referral specialists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Referral specialist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 75% |
| Government | 9% |
Referral specialist jobs by industry
The most common industries for referral specialists are health care, non profits and professional.
Referral specialist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 45% |
| Non Profits | 11% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Government | 6% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Insurance | 5% |
| Education | 4% |
| Media | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
Referral specialist turnover and employment statistics
Referral specialist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for referral specialists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Referral specialist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Referral specialist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.58% |
| 2011 | 7.01% |
| 2012 | 5.80% |
| 2013 | 5.28% |
| 2014 | 4.11% |
| 2015 | 3.32% |
| 2016 | 2.98% |
| 2017 | 2.93% |
| 2018 | 1.83% |
| 2019 | 1.29% |
| 2020 | 3.16% |
| 2021 | 4.05% |
Average referral specialist tenure
The average referral specialist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,563 referral specialists resumes in Zippia's database.
Referral specialist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Referral specialist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of referral specialists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant/Document Control | 5.70% | 72,205 |
| Referral Specialist | 9.17% | - |
| Senior Secretary | 10.06% | 37,284 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Similar referral specialist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant/Document Control | 5.70% | 72,205 |
| Senior Secretary | 10.06% | 37,284 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | 14.76% | 37,871 |
Foreign languages spoken by referral specialists
The most common foreign language among referral specialists is Spanish at 78.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 3.9% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 3.0%.
- Spanish, 78.4%
- French, 3.9%
- Portuguese, 3.0%
- Japanese, 1.3%
- Hindi, 1.3%
- Other, 12.1%
Referral specialist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 78.4% |
| French | 3.9% |
| Portuguese | 3.0% |
| Japanese | 1.3% |
| Hindi | 1.3% |
| Other | 12.1% |
