Recruiting services in Worcester, MA
A full search for an employer hiring in Worcester, 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 Massachusetts. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days and run 30 to 50% below what a contingency recruiter charges for the same hire. Every placement carries a 45 day replacement guarantee at 50% off.
Looking for a staffing agency in Worcester?
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.
Worcester 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 Worcester
Each one carries the wage band employers in this metro actually pay, what Worcester residents in that field earn, and what the search costs.
Architecture and engineering
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Architectural and Civil Drafters
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians
- Chemical Engineers
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Civil Engineers
- Computer Hardware Engineers
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters
- Electrical Engineers
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other
- Engineers, All Other
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Industrial Engineers
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Drafters
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- 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
- Credit Counselors
- Financial and Investment Analysts
- Financial Risk Specialists
- Financial Specialists, All Other
- Fundraisers
- Human Resources Specialists
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
- 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
- Training and Development Specialists
Computer and mathematical
- Actuaries
- 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
- Web Developers
Management
- Administrative Services Managers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- 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
- Financial Managers
- Food Service Managers
- Fundraising 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
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
- Public Relations Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Sales Managers
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Office and administrative support
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Brokerage Clerks
- Couriers and Messengers
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
- Customer Service Representatives
- Data Entry Keyers
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
- File Clerks
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- 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
- Meter Readers, Utilities
- 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
- 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
- Retail Salespersons
- Sales and Related Workers, All Other
- Sales Engineers
- 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 Worcester actually pay?
Whatever the Worcester, MA 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 Worcester happens to take home.
What about management roles in Worcester?
9,924 Worcester residents work in management occupations and earn a median of $77,664. BLS publishes wages for 30 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $212,600 for natural sciences managers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $231,760 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $193,710 |
| Marketing Managers | $193,510 |
| Financial Managers | $190,260 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $188,710 |
| Sales Managers | $184,080 |
| Managers, All Other | $175,480 |
| Human Resources Managers | $174,440 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 30 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in management occupations
- 9,924
- Their median annual earnings
- $77,664
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester?
4,349 Worcester residents work in business and financial operations occupations and earn a median of $80,064. BLS publishes wages for 26 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $120,400 for personal financial advisors.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | $156,230 |
| Management Analysts | $125,770 |
| Labor Relations Specialists | $111,130 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $110,540 |
| Project Management Specialists | $109,430 |
| Loan Officers | $108,220 |
| Logisticians | $103,520 |
| Financial Risk Specialists | $102,990 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 26 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in business and financial operations occupations
- 4,349
- Their median annual earnings
- $80,064
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester?
3,096 Worcester residents work in computer and mathematical occupations and earn a median of $80,943. BLS publishes wages for 18 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $150,940 for database architects.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Database Architects | $148,570 |
| Software Developers | $144,360 |
| Computer Network Architects | $137,930 |
| Information Security Analysts | $136,110 |
| Actuaries | $125,690 |
| Data Scientists | $122,260 |
| Computer Programmers | $120,170 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $117,840 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 18 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in computer and mathematical occupations
- 3,096
- Their median annual earnings
- $80,943
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester?
2,435 Worcester residents work in architecture and engineering occupations and earn a median of $92,670, and the best paid of any group here. BLS publishes wages for 24 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $142,780 for computer hardware engineers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $158,400 |
| Electrical Engineers | $127,780 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $120,050 |
| Materials Engineers | $116,390 |
| Chemical Engineers | $114,600 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $114,130 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $113,980 |
| Engineers, All Other | $113,140 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 24 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in architecture and engineering occupations
- 2,435
- Their median annual earnings
- $92,670
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester?
963 Worcester residents work in legal occupations and earn a median of $72,027. BLS publishes wages for 3 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $129,400 for lawyers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Lawyers | $152,380 |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $88,350 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $70,240 |
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in legal occupations
- 963
- Their median annual earnings
- $72,027
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester?
7,662 Worcester residents work in sales and related occupations and earn a median of $33,448, the lowest paid of any group here. BLS publishes wages for 16 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $125,800 for sales engineers.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Sales Engineers | $124,700 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $115,630 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $110,520 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $99,520 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $93,760 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $87,580 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $86,750 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | $74,570 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 16 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in sales and related occupations
- 7,662
- Their median annual earnings
- $33,448
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester?
10,567 Worcester residents work in office and administrative support occupations and earn a median of $40,181, the largest group in the city. BLS publishes wages for 41 occupations in this group across the Worcester, MA area, topping out at $75,350 for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants.
Place of work
What employers pay
| Role | Annual mean |
|---|---|
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $77,120 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $75,600 |
| Brokerage Clerks | $66,350 |
| Postal Service Clerks | $64,820 |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | $63,330 |
| Court, Municipal, and License Clerks | $62,680 |
| Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | $61,650 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | $61,650 |
Showing the 8 highest-paid of 41 occupations in this group with a published figure for this area.
Place of residence
What Worcester residents earn
- Worcester residents working in office and administrative support occupations
- 10,567
- Their median annual earnings
- $40,181
Residents of Worcester 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 Worcester, MA area, whoever fills them. The earnings figures count people who live in Worcester, wherever they commute to.
The clearest case here is architecture and engineering. Worcester residents in those roles report a median of $92,670, against a median of $91,440 across the published wages for that group in this metro, a difference of about $1,230. Residents out-earning the local wage usually means they are commuting out to better-paying employers, so a Worcester 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 $129,790 but Worcester residents in that group report a median of $77,664. Employers here are drawing that talent from outside the city line.
Across the groups we cover, Worcester earnings run from $33,448 in sales and related to $92,670 in architecture and engineering, a spread of 2.8x. A band set from the wrong end of that range is the most common reason a search here stalls.
Worcester is the 2nd largest of the 2 Massachusetts cities we publish data for, at 213,862 people, in Worcester 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 $212,600 for natural sciences managers. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $42,520 to $63,780 on the first year salary alone.
Price a Worcester search
Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.