Recruiter Salary at Startups
What startups pay recruiters, from the pay their live postings state: base salary as the employer writes it, on roles still taking applications.
259 of 687 live roles state payChecked dailyUpdated
Median base pay
$131Ka year
The median of 227 live recruiter postings that state pay in US dollars, as of October 2026. Each posting counts at the middle of its range.
- Middle half of postings
- $95K–$168K
- One in ten pays over
- $196K
- A typical posted range
- $120K–$150K
- Under $80K: 33 postings
- $80K–$100K: 32 postings
- $100K–$120K: 27 postings
- $120K–$140K: 29 postings
- $140K–$160K: 28 postings
- $160K–$180K: 41 postings
- $180K–$200K: 14 postings
- $200K–$220K: 13 postings
- $220K–$240K: 2 postings
- $240K and up: 8 postings
By level
As the title states it: "Senior", "Staff" and so on. Mid-level is a title with no level in it.
MedianMiddle half10th to 90th percentile
- Mid-level$105K$80K–$133K · 109 postings
- Senior$153K$123K–$165K · 47 postings
- Lead$165K$110K–$180K · 13 postings
- Principal$182K$168K–$201K · 8 postings
- Manager$145K$99K–$168K · 31 postings
- Director or head of$236K$166K–$285K · 16 postings
By city
Each in the currency its postings use. Pounds, euros and Canadian dollars aren't converted.
MedianMiddle half10th to 90th percentile
- Remote$142K$105K–$168K · 62 postings
- San Francisco$175K$133K–$208K · 33 postings
- New York$125K$98K–$163K · 38 postings
Who pays the most
Companies with at least three live recruiter postings stating pay, by their median.
MedianMiddle half10th to 90th percentile
- SentiLink$180K$131K–$190K · 3 postings
- Anduril Industries$172K$166K–$177K · 12 postings
- Verkada$169K$166K–$178K · 4 postings
- Datadog$167K$112K–$167K · 3 postings
- TRM Labs$163K$163K · 5 postings
- Foundry Robotics$158K$151K–$160K · 3 postings
- Divergent$150K$133K–$158K · 3 postings
- Sila$147K$147K–$160K · 3 postings
- Brex$142K$134K–$142K · 3 postings
- Harvey$142K$121K–$225K · 6 postings
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Common questions
How much does a recruiter make at a startup?
As of October 2026, the median base pay startups advertise for recruiters is $131K a year, across 227 live postings that state it in US dollars. The middle half of those postings pay between $95K and $168K, and one in ten pays over $196K.
How much does a senior recruiter make at a startup?
Postings with "senior" in the title have a median of $153K a year, across 47 of them, against $105K for titles that state no level. The middle half pay $123K–$165K.
Which companies pay recruiters the most?
Among companies with at least three live postings stating pay, the highest medians are at SentiLink ($180K), Anduril Industries ($172K), Verkada ($169K) and Datadog ($167K).
Where do recruiters earn the most?
San Francisco, with a median of $175K a year across 33 postings, against $142K for remote roles.
Does a recruiter at a startup get equity?
Often, though few postings say how much: 43% of the 924 recruiter postings we've read mention equity. The figures on this page are base pay only.
Where do these figures come from?
From the postings themselves: the pay range each employer states, on roles still taking applications, which we check against the company's own careers page every day. Each posting counts once, at the middle of its range. Postings that don't state pay, and pay in other currencies, are left out of the main figures.