Remember 2021-2023 when recruiters were getting hired with six-figure base salaries and unlimited commission potential? Yeah, those days are over. The recruiting compensation party has officially ended, and a lot of people are nursing hangovers.

The Boom Years Are Done

According to Hirewell's 2025 Recruiter Compensation Survey, the median base salary for corporate recruiters increased just 2.1% in 2025—barely keeping pace with inflation. That's down from 12.3% growth in 2023 and 18.7% in 2022. Agency recruiters saw commission rates drop an average of 15% as companies squeezed margins, per Hunt Scanlon Media.

Glassdoor data shows that corporate recruiter salaries have essentially flatlined. The average base is hovering around $68,000, with total compensation (including bonuses) hitting a ceiling at around $85,000. Senior recruiters are topping out at $95,000-110,000 unless they move into leadership or specialized technical recruiting.

Why the Market Corrected

Simple: supply and demand finally caught up. During the Great Resignation, everyone and their cousin became a recruiter because companies were desperate. LinkedIn Economic Graph reports that the number of people with "Recruiter" in their title increased 47% between 2020 and 2023.

Now we've got way more recruiters competing for fewer open positions. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows job openings declined 23% from their 2022 peak, while the recruiter population hasn't shrunk proportionally. It's Econ 101: when you flood the market with supply, prices (salaries) go down.

The Commission Crunch Is Real

Agency recruiters are feeling the pain even more. Bullhorn's 2025 Industry Trends Report found that average placements per recruiter dropped from 14.2 in 2023 to 9.8 in 2025. When you're making fewer placements and commission rates are down, your paycheck takes a double hit.

Some agencies are trying to retain talent by adding base salary, but that just squeezes margins further. One agency owner told Recruiting Daily they're stuck between paying recruiters enough to stay and making enough profit to keep the lights on. Several smaller agencies have shut down or consolidated in 2025 according to Staffing Industry Analysts.

Where the Money Still Is

Not all recruiting roles are created equal. Dice's Tech Recruiting Salary Report shows that technical recruiters—especially those placing AI/ML engineers and cybersecurity roles—are still commanding premium compensation. Some senior tech recruiters are making $140,000+ base with commission potential pushing total comp over $200,000.

Executive recruiters are also doing fine. Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants reports that retainer-based search consultants saw compensation increase 8% in 2025. Turns out, C-suite searches still pay well.

What This Means Going Forward

If you got into recruiting for the money, you might want to rethink your strategy. The days of making $150,000 as a mid-level corporate recruiter are gone unless you're in a very specialized niche. The market has normalized, which means recruiting is back to being a decent-paying job instead of a get-rich-quick scheme.

The good news? The people who stick around will actually be good at this. The pandemic-era recruiter boom brought in a lot of people who had no business being in talent acquisition. As compensation normalizes, the tourists will leave and the professionals will remain. Silver linings, folks.