Bottom quarter
$131K
Agency / Executive Recruiter Salary in San Francisco
Base pay and on-target total cash for a quota-carrying role. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Base salary
Median
$178K
Top quarter
$235K
Top 10%
$294K
Total earnings at quota (base + commission)
Bottom quarter
$208K
Median
$281K
Top quarter
$372K
Top 10%
$465K
Adjusted for San Francisco at 1.25× 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 Francisco pulls a median of $281,250 in total earnings at quota, with a top-quartile band reaching $372,359 and the strongest reps clearing $465,449. Base — your guaranteed floor before commission — sits around $177,500, with the top quarter of base offers landing at $235,000. Total earnings are base + commission at 100% of quota. Pay in San Francisco runs about 25% above the national baseline. If you're up for review, the right ask sits at the top quarter of total earnings: $372,359 (base + commission at quota).
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$372,359 total earnings — top quarter for reps hitting quota in this market. This is the number you say first.
- Target$326,805 total earnings — where a fair counter lands. Above the middle of the pack, below the anchor.
- Floor$281,250 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.