Business & Office

How to become a Recruiter

From HR coordinator or sales: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there

1–3 years

Typical pay

$55k–$85k

Starting from

HR coordinator or sales

Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from HR coordinator or sales and includes any licence or programme legally required, not just course length.

The route

1. 1

   1–3 months

   Learn sourcing and screening

   Boolean search, outreach that gets replies, and structured phone screens.

   Course that covers thisBasic Course in RecruitmentUdemy · around $29.99 →
2. 2

   1–2 years

   Start agency-side

   Brutal, fast, and the best training available. Corporate roles hire from here.

3. 3

   1–2 months

   Learn the ATS

   Greenhouse, Lever or Workday. Pipeline discipline is the whole craft.

4. 4

   1–2 years

   Pick a specialism

   Technical, healthcare or executive. Generalists earn less.

5. ✓

   Destination

   Recruiter

   Browse jobs now →

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