Executive Search Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the executive search services industry earns $141,980 per year ($68.26/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Executive Search Workers Earn?
At $141,980/year (equivalent to $68.26/hour for a full-time worker), executive search services wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical executive search services business employs 5 people. Most operations are small — often owner-operated with a handful of staff. Labor costs are manageable relative to revenue.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average executive search services business generating $1.3M/year with 5 employees at $141,980 each, total payroll represents roughly 55.4% of revenue. This is a labor-intensive industry — payroll is the dominant expense.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a executive search servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $184,574/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 5 employees = ~$709,900/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $68.26/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.3M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Executive Search Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do executive search services employees make?
- The average executive search services employee earns $141,980 per year, which is equivalent to $68.26/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the executive search services industry?
- The executive search services industry employs 43,139 workers across 9,491 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 5 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).