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    United States Recruitment Salary and Hiring Market 2026

    Base salary bands, hiring demand by vertical and time to hire across the United States roles EQ Group benchmarks. Every band links to the full ledger for that role and region.

    Time to hire
    32 days
    Roles tracked
    2,400+
    Demand growth
    +24%

    Base salary, excluding bonus and equity · Reviewed August 2026 · GBP figures converted at £1 = $1.27 as of August 2026

    Short answer

    In the United States in 2026, EQ Group benchmarks recruitment and operator base salaries from $65k for a recruitment consultant up to $420k for a chief revenue officer. Average time to hire across the market is 32 days, across 2,400+ tracked roles, with hiring demand up +24% year on year. Figures are annual base salary, excluding bonus and equity, reviewed August 2026.

    United States salary bands by role, 2026

    National bands in USD, with the GBP equivalent beneath each figure. Open a role for its scope bands, regional variants and benchmark notes.

    RoleLowMedianHighFull ledger
    Chief Revenue Officer$260k
    £205k
    		$335k
    £265k
    		$420k
    £330k
    		View
    VP Engineering$240k
    £190k
    		$300k
    £235k
    		$380k
    £300k
    		View
    Head of Product$200k
    £155k
    		$250k
    £195k
    		$320k
    £250k
    		View
    Head of Data & ML$210k
    £165k
    		$265k
    £210k
    		$340k
    £270k
    		View
    Head of Specialist Brand$180k
    £140k
    		$225k
    £175k
    		$285k
    £225k
    		View
    Recruitment Consultant$65k
    £50k
    		$90k
    £70k
    		$125k
    £100k
    		View

    Where United States hiring demand sits

    Demand scored out of 100 against the United States baseline, with year on year growth.

    Software Engineering
    94
    +29%
    Product & Design
    88
    +24%
    Data & Machine Learning
    86
    +33%
    Executive & Board Search
    79
    +18%
    Commercial & GTM Leadership
    82
    +22%
    Sales & Revenue Leadership
    74
    +19%

    United States sub-markets

    Every benchmarked role in each United States sub-market EQ Group tracks.

    United Kingdom market pageFull market intelligence dashboardSalary benchmarkerElite EQ IntelOpen rolesTrainee recruitment consultant jobsRecruitment business development jobs

    Time to hire in the United States

    Executive Search48 days
    Software Engineering34 days
    Product & Design32 days
    Data & ML38 days
    Commercial Leadership36 days
    Early-Career22 days

    United States market questions

    What are recruitment and operator salaries in the United States in 2026?

    In the United States in 2026, EQ Group benchmarks recruitment and operator base salaries from $65k for a recruitment consultant up to $420k for a chief revenue officer. Average time to hire across the market is 32 days, across 2,400+ tracked roles, with hiring demand up +24% year on year. Figures are annual base salary, excluding bonus and equity, reviewed August 2026. The table on this page lists every benchmarked role with its low, median and high band, plus the same figure in GBP at a stated rate of £1 = $1.27 as of August 2026.

    Which roles are in highest demand in the United States?

    Software Engineering leads on demand at 94 out of 100, growing +29%, followed by Product & Design at 88 (+24%) and Data & Machine Learning at 86 (+33%). Demand is scored against the national baseline for this market, not across markets.

    How long does it take to hire in the United States?

    32 days on average across the roles EQ Group tracks in this market. Leadership searches sit at the longer end of that range because of board and reference stages, while consultant and early-career hires close faster.

    How do United States salaries compare with the United Kingdom?

    Read on one currency, United States bands and United Kingdom bands separate by scope as much as by geography. Each row in the table below shows its GBP equivalent at £1 = $1.27 as of August 2026, and the United Kingdom market page carries the same table for direct comparison.

    Where does this United States market data come from?

    Offers and closed placements across the EQ Group portfolio brands in the preceding 12 months, reviewed August 2026. It is not a survey of advertised salaries, and no figure is modelled from national averages.

    Benchmarking a United States hire?

    Talk to a partner about the band, the scope and who is actually available in this market.

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