Recruiting services in Honolulu, HI
A full search for an employer hiring in Honolulu, run end to end on your behalf and priced per search rather than as a percentage of salary. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340, and the tier is set by the seniority of the role, never by what the role pays.
Permanent hires, any industry, anywhere in Hawaii. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days and typically run 30 to 50% below what a contingency recruiter charges for the same hire. Both figures are typical rather than guaranteed: a senior title at a modest salary can cost more through a full search, and the pricing form says so when the arithmetic goes that way. Every placement carries a 45 day replacement guarantee at 50% off.
Looking for a staffing agency in Honolulu?
That search usually means one of two different things, and they are not interchangeable. Temporary staffing puts someone in a seat for a while on an agency payroll. A permanent search finds a person who joins your payroll and stays. If what you need is temporary cover, a staffing agency is the right call and this is not it.
For a permanent hire the real comparison is against a contingency recruiter. Contingency bills 20 to 30% of first year salary, several firms often work the same role at once, and nobody owns the outcome. A full search is one owner, a flat fee set by seniority, and a shortlist rather than a stream of forwarded resumes.
Honolulu is covered the same way every other market is. Nothing about the fee moves with the city, so the figures below are here to price the role and read the market, not to change what the search costs.
Every role we search for in Honolulu
Each one carries the wage band employers in this metro actually pay, what Honolulu residents in that field earn, and what the search costs.
Architecture and engineering
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Architectural and Civil Drafters
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Civil Engineers
- Computer Hardware Engineers
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other
- Engineers, All Other
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Environmental Engineers
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Industrial Engineers
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
- Mechanical Engineers
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians
- Surveyors
Business and financial operations
- Accountants and Auditors
- Budget Analysts
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
- Compliance Officers
- Cost Estimators
- Credit Analysts
- Financial and Investment Analysts
- Financial Examiners
- Financial Risk Specialists
- Financial Specialists, All Other
- Fundraisers
- Human Resources Specialists
- Insurance Underwriters
- Labor Relations Specialists
- Loan Officers
- Logisticians
- Management Analysts
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Project Management Specialists
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
- Tax Preparers
- Training and Development Specialists
Computer and mathematical
- Computer Network Architects
- Computer Network Support Specialists
- Computer Occupations, All Other
- Computer Programmers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Data Scientists
- Database Administrators
- Database Architects
- Information Security Analysts
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Operations Research Analysts
- Software Developers
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
- Statisticians
- Web and Digital Interface Designers
Management
- Administrative Services Managers
- Advertising and Promotions Managers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Chief Executives
- Compensation and Benefits Managers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Construction Managers
- Education Administrators, All Other
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary
- Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
- Emergency Management Directors
- Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
- Facilities Managers
- Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
- Financial Managers
- Food Service Managers
- Fundraising Managers
- Funeral Home Managers
- General and Operations Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Industrial Production Managers
- Lodging Managers
- Managers, All Other
- Marketing Managers
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Natural Sciences Managers
- Personal Service Managers, All Other
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
- Public Relations Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Sales Managers
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Training and Development Managers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Office and administrative support
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Cargo and Freight Agents
- Couriers and Messengers
- Customer Service Representatives
- Data Entry Keyers
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
- File Clerks
- Financial Clerks, All Other
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Library Assistants, Clerical
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- New Accounts Clerks
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other
- Office Clerks, General
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
- Order Clerks
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- Postal Service Clerks
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
- Procurement Clerks
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
- Tellers
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
- Word Processors and Typists
Sales and related
- Advertising Sales Agents
- Cashiers
- Counter and Rental Clerks
- Demonstrators and Product Promoters
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
- Insurance Sales Agents
- Parts Salespersons
- Real Estate Brokers
- Real Estate Sales Agents
- Retail Salespersons
- Sales and Related Workers, All Other
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Travel Agents
What does an employer in Honolulu actually pay?
Whatever the Urban Honolulu, HI area pays, because that is the level at which wages are published. The table below is place of work: it is what employers located in that metropolitan area report paying, not what anyone living in Honolulu happens to take home.
What about management roles in Honolulu?
17,801 Honolulu residents work in management occupations and earn a median of $79,615 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023). BLS publishes wages for 35 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is chief executives, at an annual mean of $334,000 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $334,000 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $160,430 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $155,120 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $152,100 |
| Financial Managers | $148,620 |
| Managers, All Other | $138,770 |
| Human Resources Managers | $137,280 |
| Marketing Managers | $134,530 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 35 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in management occupations
- 17,801
- Their median annual earnings
- $79,615
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about business and financial operations roles in Honolulu?
9,776 Honolulu residents work in business and financial operations occupations and earn a median of $70,721 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023). BLS publishes wages for 26 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is personal financial advisors, at an annual mean of $124,830 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | $124,830 |
| Management Analysts | $108,490 |
| Labor Relations Specialists | $105,070 |
| Credit Analysts | $104,450 |
| Logisticians | $103,020 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $96,650 |
| Financial Risk Specialists | $96,460 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $94,640 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 26 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in business and financial operations occupations
- 9,776
- Their median annual earnings
- $70,721
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about computer and mathematical roles in Honolulu?
5,873 Honolulu residents work in computer and mathematical occupations and earn a median of $90,417 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023). BLS publishes wages for 16 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is database architects, at an annual mean of $143,250 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Database Architects | $143,250 |
| Software Developers | $128,320 |
| Information Security Analysts | $119,940 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $118,020 |
| Data Scientists | $118,020 |
| Computer Network Architects | $116,970 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $115,760 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | $110,420 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 16 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in computer and mathematical occupations
- 5,873
- Their median annual earnings
- $90,417
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about architecture and engineering roles in Honolulu?
4,109 Honolulu residents work in architecture and engineering occupations and earn a median of $90,964 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023). BLS publishes wages for 19 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is computer hardware engineers, at an annual mean of $137,430 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $137,430 |
| Engineers, All Other | $127,820 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $125,340 |
| Industrial Engineers | $125,160 |
| Environmental Engineers | $115,820 |
| Electrical Engineers | $109,190 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $108,120 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $102,870 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 19 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in architecture and engineering occupations
- 4,109
- Their median annual earnings
- $90,964
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about legal roles in Honolulu?
3,045 Honolulu residents work in legal occupations and earn a median of $102,271 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023), and the best paid of any group here. BLS publishes wages for 3 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is lawyers, at an annual mean of $126,580 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Lawyers | $126,580 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $68,040 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $66,330 |
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in legal occupations
- 3,045
- Their median annual earnings
- $102,271
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about sales and related roles in Honolulu?
17,755 Honolulu residents work in sales and related occupations and earn a median of $36,487 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023), the lowest paid of any group here. BLS publishes wages for 17 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products, at an annual mean of $129,290 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $129,290 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $98,550 |
| Sales and Related Workers, All Other | $94,520 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $79,540 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $74,260 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $74,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $72,230 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $69,370 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 17 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in sales and related occupations
- 17,755
- Their median annual earnings
- $36,487
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
What about office and administrative support roles in Honolulu?
20,135 Honolulu residents work in office and administrative support occupations and earn a median of $43,026 (Census ACS 5-year, 2023), the largest group in the city. BLS publishes wages for 43 occupations in this group across the Urban Honolulu, HI area, and the highest of those is executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, at an annual mean of $82,000 paid by employers in that area (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $82,000 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $71,830 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $66,900 |
| Postal Service Clerks | $64,310 |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | $64,230 |
| Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | $63,600 |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | $61,240 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | $60,340 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 43 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Honolulu residents earn
- Honolulu residents working in office and administrative support occupations
- 20,135
- Their median annual earnings
- $43,026
Residents of Honolulu working in this occupation group. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. This is where people live, not where they work, so it is not comparable to the wage figures beside it.
Why are the two numbers on this page so different?
They count different people. The wage figures count jobs sitting inside the Urban Honolulu, HI area, whoever fills them. The earnings figures count people who live in Honolulu, wherever they commute to.
The clearest case here is legal. Honolulu residents in those roles report a median of $102,271, against a median of $62,840 across the published wages for that group in this metro, a difference of about $39,431. Residents out-earning the local wage usually means they are commuting out to better-paying employers, so a Honolulu offer in that group is competing with a drive rather than with the firm down the road.
It runs the other way in management, where published wages in this metro run to a median of $111,940 but Honolulu residents in that group report a median of $79,615. Employers here are drawing that talent from outside the city line.
Across the groups we cover, Honolulu earnings run from $36,487 in sales and related to $102,271 in legal, a spread of 2.8x. A band set from the wrong end of that range is the most common reason a search here stalls.
Honolulu is the 1st largest of the 1 Hawaii city we publish data for, at 341,868 people, in Honolulu County.
What does a search cost here?
The same as anywhere. Location does not move the fee and neither does salary. Tier is set by the seniority of the role, and across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median wage in this metro is $315,920 for chief executives. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $63,184 to $94,776 on the first year salary alone.
Price a Honolulu search
Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.