The tech industry is one of the most consistently evolving industries in the workforce nowadays. With constant changes in technology and ever-growing demand, tech companies have never needed as much help acquiring new employees as they do today. Therefore, many companies today employ technical recruiters to help them with their staffing needs. But what exactly is a technical recruiter and how much do technical recruiters make in a given year? How much do senior technical recruiters make? How does technical recruiting differ from other recruitment positions? Continue reading to learn more about the technical recruiter salary and uncover the answers to some of these other questions today!
What Is Technical Recruiting?
As mentioned, the tech industry has a lot of moving parts. So, many jobs are critical to the functionality of a tech company, from creating user-friendly apps to developing more sophisticated software for high-end companies.
Tech recruiters specialize in hiring qualified candidates to fulfill these technical roles. That includes specializing in every step of the hiring process, from sourcing to the final selection of a candidate. Due to the nature of their work, these recruiters must be well-versed in technology trends, terminology, and products, in addition to strategic recruitment practices. Much like a technical recruiter’s salary, this industry knowledge will vary depending on the industry. Some industries these recruiters may hire for include:
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Biotech
- Chemical
- Commercial Products
- Consumer Goods
- Defense Industry
- Federal Agencies
- Energy Companies
- Food and Beverage
- Industrial Manufacturing
- Medical Devices
- Oil and Gas
- Pharmaceuticals
- Power and Utilities
But what does a technical recruiter do day-to-day? What are their responsibilities? Keep the above information in mind as we learn more about what working as a technical recruiter entails.
What Does Working as a Technical Recruiter Entail?
The daily work life of a recruiter can vary depending on the industry, the roles they are hiring for, and the time of year. What a technical recruiter does may differ from other talent acquisition specialists, and for many, no two days as a recruiter is the same.
Day-to-day, a technical recruiter may:
- Conduct competitor research
- Write job descriptions
- Post newly open positions
- Source potential candidates through any number of platforms
- Complete resume reviews
- Conduct initial interviews of qualified candidates.
Before creating a job posting, a technical recruiter may meet with IT professionals and hiring managers to assess the company’s hiring needs, review necessary position qualifications, and discuss other critical components, such as a budgeted salary.
Responsibilities of a Technical Recruiter
The responsibilities of a technical recruiter may vary depending on hiring needs, the industry, or the company size, but they’ll generally be responsible for the following:
- Writing technical job descriptions
- Collaborating with team leaders to understand hiring needs
- Meeting with hiring managers to address budget, criteria, salary, and interview process
- Strategizing how to promote job positions internally and externally
- Advertising open positions on company websites and social networks like LinkedIn
- Sourcing potential candidates through various niche platforms
- Reaching out to potentially qualified candidates
- Performing initial screenings to assess qualifications
- Coordinating and conducting formal interviews, utilizing technical assessments and situational scenario questions
- Extending job offers to finalists
- Completing onboarding processes for new hires
- Staying up-to-date on both recruiting and tech trends
A technical recruiter also spends their day building a robust base of senior consultations and contractors and generating leads. For instance, technical recruiters at Black Diamond Networks dedicate significant time to networking and building professional relationships. They do this through several tactics, such as making referrals and cold calling.
Technical recruiters also spend a substantial amount of time tracking their progress. They manage, track, and gather market intelligence using CRM tools. Additionally, they’ll spend time each day gathering data or researching trends through social media platforms like LinkedIn.
Another fundamental part of their day is managing their applicant tracking system (ATS), allowing them to organize their work accordingly and update their requisitions as the day progresses. However, doing so is relatively standard across the recruiting industry. So, what are the differences between technical recruiting and other recruiting positions?
What Makes Technical Recruiting Different?
The role of a recruiter sometimes changes more depending on the company than the industry. As an example, Black Diamond is a recruiter-driven company. As such, our technical staffing services and recruiters focus on a specialized skill set that ensures we match the best candidates to a company’s projects. We foster a deeper understanding of where we place candidates in an ever-evolving industry.
Additionally, there are discrepancies between technical recruiters and other recruiters in the industry regarding salary and job functions. Since technical recruiters focus more on finding candidates with specific technical skills, they’re generally more sought out because they’re better versed in explicit industries. They also tend to have longer, complex hiring processes because of the specialized nature of their roles.
Working as a technical recruiter requires a person to have a deeper understanding and more knowledge of the technical roles they’re hiring for. As such, they may be compensated more for this expertise. For instance, a general entry-level recruiter may start in a company making around $45,000 per year.
On the other hand, technical recruiters can make anywhere from $75,000 to upward of $200,000 annually, depending on different factors that we’ll discuss later. Before answering the big question — how much do technical recruiters make — let’s answer this question: how does someone become a technical recruiter?
Becoming a Technical Recruiter
The first step toward considering a career in technical recruiting is learning what companies are looking for. Although a degree is not required, some may look for a candidate with a bachelor’s degree in a related field like human resources, business management, or information technologies. It may also behoove you to take a few computer science courses to familiarize yourself with technology or software terms, products, and skills you may be looking for in prospective candidates.
Many successful recruiters learn the industry on the job. So, companies may hire entry-level candidates to provide hands-on training. Individuals wanting a technical recruiting career should focus on entry-level roles within companies offering on-the-job training and growth opportunities.
Necessary Skills and Competencies
In addition to education, working as a successful technical recruiter requires many skills and competencies. As mentioned, individuals often learn industry-specific skills on the job, but it’s remarkable how much success a recruiter can gain with day-to-day soft skills, including:
- Active listening
- Organization
- Communication
- Attention to detail
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Critical thinking
- Adaptability
- Emotional intelligence
- Relationship-building
Soft skills such as these are invaluable for two main reasons. Firstly, the demand for technology professionals has increased drastically. Secondly, human-centered skills such as these are needed more than ever with the rise of AI and other technologies within the recruiting industry.
Nevertheless, every good technical recruiter needs to have a competent set of hard skills as well, including but not limited to:
- Working with an ATS
- Knowledge of HR procedures
- Sourcing and the ability to navigate various sourcing platforms
- Marketing skills necessary for advertising open positions
- Familiarity with industry software, trends, and products
- Working knowledge of best interview and recruitment processes
- Networking and being able to navigate networking sites like LinkedIn
Now that you know what it takes to become a technical recruiter, you may wonder if it’s worth it. Well, that’s something a person must determine for themselves. Maybe a career in technical sales is more your speed but it may help to know that the future of technical recruiting appears promising.
Future Job Prospects for Technical Recruiting
The future looks bright for the technical recruiting industry, expecting job outlooks to increase by 6% to 8% by 2028. Each career path is unique, but five to ten years is enough time for a recruiter to reach a leadership-level position within a company.
A person’s career path may start as a recruiter or associate recruiter. Eventually, they experience the opportunity to move up, typically as a senior recruiter. As recruiters gain more industry knowledge, they may become recruiting development leads, providing them with more duties pertaining to creating hiring strategies, evaluating recruitment processes, and managing a team of recruiters. Eventually, a person may become the recruiting director or VP of a company, which is the ultimate goal for some.
The best way to see this job growth as a technical recruiter is to build and maintain a strong and reputable book of business and maintain positive working relationships. In the industry, recruiters often work with companies routinely. A good reputation and work ethic go a long way.
How Much Do Technical Recruiters Make?
So, for the moment you’ve been waiting for — how much do technical recruiters make? As mentioned, technical recruiters can make anywhere from $75,000 to upward of $200,000. However, there’s more to it than just a simple figure. A technical recruiter’s salary will vary depending on many factors, including:
- Location
- Experience
- Number of active assignments
- Lengths or rates of contracts
- The industry they’re recruiting for
Technical recruiters who make six figures often have many years of experience in the industry. Many of these professionals also get a commission on top of their annual salary, which is how many find themselves in the high six-figure range. These individuals tend to be highly ambitious and competitive and may have previous sales experience which only benefits them in achieving success and increased pay.
Let’s Look at Some Technical Recruiter Base Salaries
Additionally, a technical recruiter can increase their salaries even without commission. They do so by moving up into leadership and management positions and taking on more responsibilities revolving around training, mentorship, and specialized positions. With influencing factors in mind, here’s a list of some technical recruiter’s salaries in the United States as indicated by salary.com:
- The average salary for a Technical Recruiter I is roughly $61,399.
- The average income for a Technical Recruiter II falls around $79,871.
- Senior Technical Recruiters can earn approximately $95,872.
- A Lead Technical Recruiter can make an average of $97,647.
While some companies employ in-house technical recruiters, there are staffing agencies whose sole focus is to provide companies with technical talent. Consider a career as a technical recruiter today if you’re interested in working in a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry that pays well and offers career growth and opportunities.
A career with our technical staffing agency will have you hiring for positions in various sectors, such as life sciences, engineering, and information technology. Consider working with us to fulfill your technical staffing needs or for help finding a job in your industry today.
