Bottom quarter
$119K
Agency / Executive Recruiter Salary in San Diego
Base pay and on-target total cash for a quota-carrying role. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Base salary
Median
$160K
Top quarter
$212K
Top 10%
$266K
Total earnings at quota (base + commission)
Bottom quarter
$188K
Median
$254K
Top quarter
$337K
Top 10%
$421K
Adjusted for San Diego at 1.13× 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 San Diego pulls a median of $254,250 in total earnings at quota, with a top-quartile band reaching $336,613 and the strongest reps clearing $420,766. Base — your guaranteed floor before commission — sits around $160,460, with the top quarter of base offers landing at $212,440. Total earnings are base + commission at 100% of quota. Pay in San Diego runs about 13% above the national baseline. If you're up for review, the right ask sits at the top quarter of total earnings: $336,613 (base + commission at quota).
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$336,613 total earnings — top quarter for reps hitting quota in this market. This is the number you say first.
- Target$295,432 total earnings — where a fair counter lands. Above the middle of the pack, below the anchor.
- Floor$254,250 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.