You have heard it, recruitment is big money… or is it?
I have been a recruiter for just over 3 years in London but I have been recruiting across Europe and the UK with a great deal of success. Although for my small number of years that I have been I recruiter I am easily in the top 10% in the country in terms of revenue generated. In the 3 companies I have worked in I was the top revenue grosser and therefore I am able to share my input into whether you can actually make £100k a year as a recruitment consultant
Statistically 95% of recruitment consultants in the UK do not make more than £60,000 per year (before tax) and that includes basic salary which can can be around £30k. This is usually for experienced recruiters as well… what about new staff?
I am sure you have seen job adverts that state:
First year £20k-£50k
Second Year £50-£75k
Third Year £75-£100k+
But that is only there to attract you to join them, believe me if there is an entry level job that you can earn £100k after 3 years everybody would be applying and it would be so competitive you wouldn’t even get a call back on your application.
Trainee recruitment consultants first year earning potential
The most a trainee recruiter that I ever saw make was around £600 commission on average every month and this was for a top performer let alone somebody who has 2+ years experience. You also have to bear in mind that recruiters have the highest amount of staff turnover (more than call centres) and a lot of people don’t make it past the few weeks before quitting. It really is a survival of the fittest.
A trainee or associate recruiter would look to make around £10,000 (before tax) on top of their basic salary in their first year recruiting.
Experience recruitment consultants average earnings
Recruitment has a number of advantages, it is actually one of the quickest ways into management. I personally achieved director level in just over 3 years which is virtually unheard of in recruitment let alone any other sector, you can really earn your way to the top FAST. And by the way… after my first year billing I never had to go to an interview, people would beg me to work for them and I would dictate my terms and salary because I was a proven revenue generator.
From what I see experienced recruiters have a slightly higher basic salary and sometimes higher commission structure which allows them to earn more. However most do not consistently bill well, the recruiters I had working for me saw a typical month of commission at around £500-£1,200 on average. Some months I saw a lot of recruiter not make any commission.
How much do the top performing recruitment consultants make
This is probably why you landed on this article, you want to know if you do well in recruitment how much can you actually make… £100K? Well if I told you that I have never seen anybody (apart from myself) make over £100k before tax in recruitment and I worked in 5 different companies before, large and small.
I have heard of people making “£1 million” a year but never had this verified. Of course 10 years ago it was easier and possible but in 2020, 2021 it is not possible.
The only way to earn over £100k in recruitment is to have your own business.
