Bottom quarter
$110K
Agency / Executive Recruiter Salary in Chicago
Base pay and on-target total cash for a quota-carrying role. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Base salary
Median
$149K
Top quarter
$197K
Top 10%
$247K
Total earnings at quota (base + commission)
Bottom quarter
$175K
Median
$236K
Top quarter
$313K
Top 10%
$391K
Adjusted for Chicago at 1.05× the national baseline. Total cash assumes 100% of quota — actual earnings vary by attainment. See the math →
What this number means.
Agency / Executive Recruiter in Chicago pulls a median of $236,250 in total earnings at quota, with a top-quartile band reaching $312,782 and the strongest reps clearing $390,977. Base — your guaranteed floor before commission — sits around $149,100, with the top quarter of base offers landing at $197,400. Total earnings are base + commission at 100% of quota. The Chicago adjustment moves the band 5% above the national baseline. The gap between median and top-quarter total earnings is real money — at this role, $76,532 a year. Ask for it.
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$312,782 total earnings — top quarter for reps hitting quota in this market. This is the number you say first.
- Target$274,516 total earnings — where a fair counter lands. Above the middle of the pack, below the anchor.
- Floor$236,250 total earnings — below this, you're under the middle of the market. Walking away gets cheaper than staying.
Carry the math. Not the maybe.
AMMO is the corner man for the conversation that decides your year. Real pay data, an offer grader, and counter language drafted from your numbers. Get on the list before iOS launch.
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Agency / Executive Recruiter elsewhere
Adjacent metros
Read how these numbers are computed →
Numbers are estimates. Your offer depends on the company, the level, the stock piece, and the conversation you're about to have. AMMO is a tool. You are the negotiator.