Finds and recruits senior leaders such as CEOs, CFOs and board members for client organizations, usually on a retained basis. BLS does not publish separate figures for human resources specialists; it counts them within human resources specialist (SOC 13-1071), whose median pay is $75,940 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1071
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Executive Recruiter in four numbers
- Median pay
- $75,940a year, or $36.51/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $129K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.4%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 73,700939,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025939.7K
- Projected 2035999.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 939.7K Projected 2035 999.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school13.5%
- Some college4.8%
- Associate's7.2%
- Bachelor's46.6%
- Post-bacc certificate1.7%
- Master's24.9%
Highest education held by human resources specialists Segment Value High school 13.5% Some college 4.8% Associate's 7.2% Bachelor's 46.6% Post-bacc certificate 1.7% Master's 24.9%
Also advertised as: Executive Search Consultant, Headhunter, Retained Search Consultant, Executive Search Partner, Search Associate.
Pay
How much do Human Resources Specialists make?
Every executive recruiter in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$75,940
Middle half earn $58,610 to $99,380
- 10th
- $47,180
- 25th
- $58,610
- 75th
- $99,380
- 90th
- $128,720
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,180 |
| 25th | $58,610 |
| Median | $75,940 |
| 75th | $99,380 |
| 90th | $128,720 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $75,940
- Median hourly wage
- $36.51/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $81,990
- People employed
- 912,430
Versus all US occupations
At $75,940, Human Resources Specialists earn 49% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $24,960 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 6% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $128,720 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,180, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 51% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $110,970, and still leads at $100,973 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Human Resources Specialists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $110,970 | $100,973 | 6,910 |
| 2Massachusetts | $85,630 | $80,969 | 27,300 |
| 3Washington | $84,550 | $79,009 | 22,770 |
| 4New York | $84,380 | $78,187 | 54,610 |
| 5Maryland | $83,910 | $79,946 | 15,530 |
| 6California | $83,500 | $75,415 | 104,000 |
| 7Connecticut | $82,890 | $80,002 | 9,010 |
| 8Virginia | $82,090 | $81,194 | 28,540 |
| 9Colorado | $80,840 | $78,446 | 19,450 |
| 10New Jersey | $80,690 | $74,160 | 21,690 |
Job outlook
Is Executive Recruiter a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Human Resources Specialists | +6.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Human Resources Specialists to change 6.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 60,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 73,700 openings are projected each year, 7.8% of the 939,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Executive Recruiter
Executive recruiters come from many backgrounds, including corporate recruiting, consulting, banking, law and industry leadership. A bachelor's degree is typical. Many start as researchers or associates at search firms, building candidate lists and supporting partners.
No license is required. The Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants sets professional standards for the retained search industry. Industry knowledge, a large network, discretion and persuasion skills matter most. Pay is often tied to search fees, so experienced recruiters with strong client relationships can earn far more than their early-career peers.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as human resources specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree46.6%
- Master's Degree24.9%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)13.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree7.2%
- Some College Courses4.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 46.6% |
| Master's Degree | 24.9% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 13.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 7.2% |
| Some College Courses | 4.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Executive Recruiter do?
Executive recruiters, also called headhunters, help organizations fill senior roles that are rarely advertised. A company hires a search firm to find a new CEO, a division president, or a board director, and the recruiter runs the search from start to finish.
Recruiters meet with the board or executives to define the role, map the market of potential candidates, and approach people who are often not looking for a job. They interview and assess candidates, check references, present a shortlist, and help negotiate the offer. Partners spend much of their time winning new search assignments. Many specialize in an industry, such as healthcare, technology or private equity portfolio companies.
Day-to-day tasks
- Meet with clients to define senior role requirements
- Research and map potential candidates in an industry
- Approach passive candidates confidentially
- Interview and assess executive candidates
- Conduct detailed reference checks
- Present shortlists and advise clients on selection
- Negotiate offers and support onboarding
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Executive recruiters work in search firm offices or remotely, spending much of the day on calls and video interviews. Travel to meet clients and candidates is common. Hours vary and often extend into evenings, when candidates are free to talk. The work is relationship driven and can be high pressure.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies3.0
- Monitoring3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4
- Service Orientation3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Instructing3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Negotiation3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Executive Recruiter?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESC) built on O*NET's Human Resources Specialist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Executive Recruiter |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising5.8
- Conventional5.5
- Social4.3
- Investigative2.5
- Artistic1.4
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Executive Recruiter
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Office and Administrative Support
Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
$50,610median a year
Most earn $37K to $68K
−6.2%Associate's - Management
- Office and Administrative Support
Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs
$54,210median a year
Most earn $39K to $75K
+1.6%High school - Office and Administrative Support
First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers
$69,500median a year
Most earn $46K to $105K
+0.1%High school - Business and Financial Operations
Compensation, Benefit, and Job Analysis Specialist
$78,210median a year
Most earn $49K to $129K
+6.0%Bachelor's
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with human resources specialists highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Executive Recruiter$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Executive Recruiter | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Executive Recruiter appears on
Questions
Executive Recruiter: frequently asked questions
How much do Human Resources Specialists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for human resources specialists. It counts them within human resources specialist, whose median pay is $75,940 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $58,610 and $99,380, and the top 10% earn $128,720 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Executive Recruiter?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Human Resources Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 46.6% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Executive Recruiter a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 73,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Executive Recruiter do?
Executive recruiters, also called headhunters, help organizations fill senior roles that are rarely advertised. A typical task: meet with clients to define senior role requirements. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Application server software.
Which states pay Human Resources Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Human Resources Specialists are District of Columbia ($110,970), Massachusetts ($85,630), Washington ($84,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Executive Recruiter?
O*NET scores Human Resources Specialists highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.