New York City is home to hundreds of recruiting firms that place sales talent across diverse industries such as technology, finance, healthcare, entertainment, fashion, and legal services. 

As AI transforms the technology landscape, however, high-growth tech companies need more tailored recruiting support than most generalist firms can provide. The city’s thriving startup and venture capital ecosystem has intensified competition for sales professionals who can differentiate increasingly sophisticated products, navigate technical buying committees, and build credibility with multiple stakeholders throughout the sales cycle.

By partnering with specialized sales recruiting agencies, these organizations gain access to experienced talent, current market intelligence on compensation and hiring trends, and strategic guidance on building and scaling go-to-market (GTM) teams.

Below are the top ten sales recruiting agencies in New York City in 2026. Throughout this process, we scored and ranked firms against a 15-point scale, evaluating each based on New York City market presence, sales recruiting specialization, AI and high-growth technology expertise, demonstrated recruiting authority, and recruiting scale and delivery capability.

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Methodology

To produce an objective ranking, we evaluated each firm using publicly available information alongside our firsthand knowledge of the sales recruiting market in New York City. Our research drew from company websites, LinkedIn profiles, press announcements, job postings, marketing materials, customer reviews (including Glassdoor, Google, and G2), and published resources such as case studies, compensation guides, and articles.

As a recruiting firm specializing in go-to-market talent, we also leveraged our experience evaluating sales recruiting partners and the evolving AI hiring landscape. To minimize bias, each firm was assessed against the same standardized criteria and scored out of 15 points.

How We Selected the Top 10 Sales Recruiting Agencies in NYC

Only firms that met the following baseline requirements were included in our final evaluation:

• Demonstrated experience recruiting sales talent
• Demonstrated recruiting activity, client presence, or market relevance in the New York City market

Each qualifying firm was then scored across five weighted categories:

• New York City Recruiting Presence & Market Access (0–3)
• Sales Hiring Specialization (0–3)
• AI & High-Growth Technology Expertise (0–3)
• Demonstrated Recruiting Expertise & Industry Authority (0–3)
• Recruiting Scale & Delivery Capability (0–3)

Firms were ranked according to their total score out of 15 points.

Ranking Methodology (15-Point Scale)

1. New York City Recruiting Presence & Market Access (0–3 Points)

• 3 Points: Headquarters or major physical office in New York City with an established local recruiting presence and network
• 2 Points: Remote-first firm with a dedicated NYC recruiting team or significant history placing sales talent in NYC
• 1 Point: National recruiting firm without a physical NYC office but demonstrates recurring NYC placements and employer relationships.
• 0 Points: Limited visible NYC recruiting activity.

2. Sales Hiring Specialization (0–3 Points)

• 3 Points: Sales recruiting specialist and primary functional focus 
• 2 Points: Core sales recruiting focus, but recruits across functions 
• 1 Point: Generalist recruiting firm 

3. AI & High-Growth Technology Expertise (0–3 Points)

• 3 Points: Strong focus on AI companies, SaaS startups, and venture-backed technology organizations
• 2 Points: Broad yet exclusive technology recruiting practice with visible AI hiring experience
• 1 Point: Recruiting experience spans diverse sectors, including technology

4. Demonstrated Recruiting Expertise & Industry Authority (0–3 Points)

• 3 Points: Publishes original compensation guides, hiring research, recruiting insights, or proprietary market intelligence relevant to sales hiring 
• 2 Points: Regular recruiting content, case studies, or sales hiring expertise with limited proprietary research
• 1 Point: Basic recruiting insights or company blog with limited evidence of thought leadership or proprietary data
• 0 Points: Little publicly available evidence of recruiting expertise

5. Recruiting Scale & Delivery Capability (0–3 Points)

• 3 Points: Demonstrated ability to rapidly scale sales hiring through proprietary recruiting technology, structured candidate communities, measurable talent networks, or documented high-volume hiring success
• 2 Points: Proven sales recruiting success with established recruiting teams and repeatable hiring processes
• 1 Point: Boutique recruiting model with limited evidence of scaling multiple sales hires simultaneously
• 0 Points: Limited publicly available evidence of sales recruiting capacity

*NOTE — When firms had tied scores, recruiting firms with higher scoring for sales specialization were ultimately ranked higher. If the firms also tied in this category, those with higher scoring for recruiting authority received higher overall ranking.

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Results

	NYC Presence (3)	Sales Specialization (3)	AI Expertise (3)	Recruiting Authority (3)	Scale & Delivery (3)	Total (15)	Rank
Betts Recruiting	3	3	3	3	3	15	1
Captivate Talent	3	3	3	2	2	13	2
AC Lion	3	2	3	2	3	13	3
Formative Search Partners	3	3	3	2	1	12	4
RevPilots	2	3	1	3	2	11	5
salestalent.com	2	3	1	2	3	11	6
KAS Placement	3	3	1	1	3	11	7
Treeline Inc	1	3	1	2	3	10	8
Talentfoot	3	1	1	2	2	9	9
Sales Talent Inc	1	3	1	1	2	8	10

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1. Betts Recruiting 

Founded in 2009, Betts Recruiting specializes in placing exceptional sales talent with tech companies through a data-driven and tech-enabled approach. 

Having partnered with more than 10,000 organizations across AI, SaaS, fintech, healthtech, legaltech, and other high-growth sectors, Betts has become an industry leader in helping companies navigate evolving sales hiring, compensation, and team-building strategies in the age of AI.

The firm offers flexible hiring models to support organizations of varying budgets and growth stages. Among these include the subscription-based Recruitment as a Service (RaaS) model, which allows teams to make six hires over the course of a year. 

RaaS includes personalized recruiter support and access to Betts Connect, an AI-powered sourcing platform featuring the profiles and KPIs of pre-vetted GTM candidates. Betts also offers self-sourcing via Betts Connect to rapidly scale teams at scale.

Key Data Points:

• NYC office: 99 Hudson St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013
• Core specialities: Go-to-market, SaaS, AI, cloud
• Hiring models: Contingency, Executive, self-sourcing, and RaaS
• Typical fees: Contingency fees are 15–25% of the placed candidate’s first-year base salary or OTE. Betts Connect and RaaS fees available upon request
• Time-to-fill: Typically between two to six weeks. 
• Best for (who and when): High-growth startups, especially between Series A-D.

Relevant Case Studies: Attentive, Upflow, Yotpo, Red Points

2. Captivate Talent

Captivate Talent has exclusively recruited GTM and RevOps candidates for startups since 2017, emphasizing its startup fluency and human-centered approach.

The firm does not offer flexible hiring models. However, it is a strong partner for advising organizations on when to hire specific roles and how to create effective job descriptions.

The firm regularly publishes case studies but has not established itself as a thought leader with proprietary data. It also relies on human-led sourcing instead of proprietary recruiting technology.

Key Data Points:

• NYC office: 1412 Broadway, New York, New York 10001 (Headquarters)
• Core specialities: GTM, RevOps, SaaS, AI 
• Hiring models: Contingency 
• Typical fees: 20%–25% of a candidate’s first-year base salary.
• Time-to-fill (range by role, if available): 60+ days
• Best for: Early- to growth-stage startups (Seed to Series C) 

Relevant Case Studies: Dandi, Paddle

3. AC Lion

AC Lion has placed sales, marketing, operations, and product management roles for digital tech companies since 1996. The firm focuses primarily on mid- to senior-level roles. 

Its proprietary talent platform, called AC Lion EQ, helps de-risk the hiring process by providing candidate scoring and ranking based on psychometrics, video introductions, behavioral profiles, and key competencies. 

AC Lion recently launched an initiative to prioritize AI-fluent sellers, signaling its adaptation to the evolving market. However, its AI hiring is a newer focus compared with firms like Betts, where it has always been a core specialization.

Key Data Points:

• NYC Office: 1216 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001 (Headquarters)
• Core specialities: Mid- to senior-level sales and customer success, digital media and AdTech, MarTech
• Hiring models: Disruptive Retained, Contingency, Team Builds, Talent Pipeline Development
• Typical fees: Flexible, custom-fit pricing models 
• Time-to-fill: Six to eight weeks 
• Best for: Revenue team build outs for digitally native companies in the mid-market to enterprise growth phase

Relevant Case Studies: The Right Solution Sales Executive for a Growing Fintech and Innovid

4. Formative Search Partners

Founded in 2014, Formative Search Partners exclusively recruits GTM leaders for scaling SaaS and AI companies. This includes Heads, VPs, and C-level executives.

Formative Search Partners emphasizes its ability to identify candidates with technical expertise. Its bespoke approach includes role definition support, founder coaching, and candidate assessment.

The firm does not publish recruiting insights or compensation data. The scope of its services focus on individual contributors rather than scaling teams. 

Key Data Points:

• New York Office: Remote-first team with a strong presence in New York City
• Core specialities: Technical GTM leadership, SaaS, AI
• Hiring models: Executive Search
• Typical fees: Not Publicly Available 
• Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available 
• Best for: Founder-led startups at key growth transitions seeking technical talent

Portfolio of NYC clients

5. RevPilots

RevPilots is an emerging sales recruiting firm that has partnered with scaling tech companies since 2022. 

The firm supports high-growth startups by placing fractional talent and sales consultants who can solve growth challenges such as generating more leads and improving the sales process. 

Recruiters draw on their experience as former sales operators to provide advice on sales management and strategy alongside recruiting services. 

Key Data Points:

• NYC office: Remote-first team with a strong NYC reach
• Core specialities: SaaS, non-technical GTM roles
• Hiring models: Fractional and Full-time placements 
• Typical fees: 20-25% fee for full-time hiring; custom pricing for fractional hiring 
• Time-to-fill: Typically presents qualified, full-time candidates within five business days, with many clients completing hiring within one to two weeks.
• Best for (who and when): B2B SaaS companies seeking experienced SDRs or AEs with guidance from recruiters who have firsthand sales leadership experience

Customer Testimonial: “We needed to hire an SDR who could deliver. RevPilots helped us find an SDR who is now our top producer.” — VP of Sales, Govly

6. salestalent.com

Founded in 2021 by a six-time sales executive, salestalent.com is a team of veteran sales leaders who conduct highly structured, scalable, and targeted searches. The firm encourages clients to make their hiring criteria as specific as they’d like. 

salestalent.com recruits across the SaaS, tech, industrial, medical, and ad sales industries. Recruiters create a custom scorecard and engage 100 to 300 passive candidates per role to shortlist just three to five prospects.

Key Data Points:

• NYC office: N/A (Remote-first team)
• Core specialities: Inside sales, outside sales, sales engineering, sales operations, and customer success roles
• Hiring models: Contingent and Retained (only permanent talent) 
• Typical fees: Firm presents 3 to 4 options with varying fees so that you can select the best option for your needs and budget
• Time-to-fill: Typically within 30 to 45 days of the search kickoff
• Best for (who and when): Employers who want to scale teams or build them from scratch 

Customer Testimonial: “The salestalent.com team are FANTASTIC partners, not only in the pursuit of identifying and recruiting top-tier commercial talent, but also true partners helping to solve complex hiring decisions as firms look to upgrade talent.” — Chief Revenue Officer at Zema Global

7. KAS Placement

Founded in 2005, KAS Placement recruits sales and marketing candidates across more than 100 industries for companies of all sizes.

KAS Placement takes a headhunting approach and also leverages proprietary candidate intelligence systems, databases, and networks to accelerate the sourcing process. 

Due to the breadth of its industry focus, KAS Placement does not bring the same focus or specialization to its AI or startup recruiting efforts. 

Key Data Points:

• NYC offices: 79 Madison Ave, Suite 702, New York, NY 10016 (headquarters) and 147 W 35th St, New York, NY
• Core specialities: Business development roles, territory managers, inside sales, outside sales, sales enablement, account management, and SDRs
• Hiring models: Contingency and Retained
• Typical fees: In most circumstances, the amount paid per recruitment project ranges from 19% to 22.5% of the employee’s base compensation pay
• Time-to-fill: Not publicly disclosed 
• Best for (who and when): Organizations filling sales roles that require recruiters with experience across industries such as technology, healthcare, manufacturing, media, and professional services

Customer Testimonial: “KAS has made each sales recruitment process personalized and accurate. This has allowed us to refine and expedite our NYC recruiting efforts.” — Unattributed

8. Treeline, Inc

Founded in 2001, Treeline Inc. exclusively recruits sales talent for every industry. The firm emphasizes the speed of its services.

The firm’s proprietary, AI-powered talent platform features detailed, comprehensive resumes of over 200,000 candidates to improve sourcing precision and accelerate time-to-hire.

Key Data Points: 

• New York Office: N/A
• Headquarters: 15 Lincoln Street, Suite 314, Wakefield, MA 01880
• Core specialities: 
• Hiring models: Contingency, Temporary, Contract, and Self-Sourcing 
• Typical fees: Not Publicly Available 
• Time-to-fill: Typically 30 days or less
• Best for: Organizations making multiple sales hires that value fast candidate delivery and a large, sales-specific talent network.

Customer Testimonial: “Treeline Inc. provided us with the most candidates that aligned with our needs and were of the highest quality.” — Head of North America Sales, Satchel Pulse

9. Talentfoot

Founded in 2010, Talentfoot recruits mid-senior, senior leadership, and C-level talent across diverse industries and functions. 

Recruiters evaluate each candidate’s psychometric traits, prospecting techniques, solution-selling capabilities, enterprise relationship management, forecasting accuracy, CRM proficiency, and experience with sales methodologies in relation to your specific environment.

Talentfoot recruits emerging sales roles such as GTM Engineers and Forward Deployed Engineers, though it lags behind other firms on this list due to the breadth of its industry focus and lack of industry-relevant case studies, compensation guides, or insights.

Key Data Points:

• NYC office: 79 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor New York, NY 10016
• Core specialities: Directors, VPs, and C-level executives 
• Hiring models: Retained, Engagement, and Contingent 
• Typical fees: Not publicly disclosed 
• Time-to-fill: Typically between 60 to 120 days depending on seniority of role
• Best for: Employers that value a strategic, client-first recruiting partnership and white-glove services

10. Sales Talent Inc

Sales Talent Inc has placed sales candidates across the tech, SaaS insurance, consumer goods, industrial, medical, and healthcare sectors since 1999. 

The firm applies a human-led sourcing approach by headhunting the majority of its candidates. It reduces time-to-hire by committing 62 hours to your search (nearly 3x the industry average). 

Key Data Points:

• NYC Office: N/A
• Core specialities: 
• Hiring models: Contingency and Retained
• Typical fees: Not Publicly Disclosed 
• Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Disclosed
• Best for: Tech companies seeking experienced sales talent through a headhunting-focused approach

Customer Testimonial: “It takes a special recruiter and recruitment company to understand the difference between A+ and B+ sales talent. Sales Talent Inc. is best in class.” — Head of Talent, Hello Heart

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Recap

Firm	Score	Rank	NYC Office	Hiring models	Best for
Betts Recruiting	15/15	1	Yes	Contingency, Executive, self-sourcing, RaaS	GTM, AI, flexible hiring models
Captivate Talent	13/15	2	Yes	Contingency	GTM, SaaS
AC Lion	13/15	3	Yes	Disruptive Retained, Contingency, Team Builds, Talent Pipeline Development	Mid- to senior-level sales talent
Formative Search Partners	12/15	4	Remote (NYC HQ)	Executive	Founder-led startups at key growth transitions
RevPilots	11/15	5	Remote (NYC HQ)	Fractional and full-time placements	Operator-led hiring processes
salestalent.com	11/15	6	No	Contingency, Retained	Scaling or building teams from scratch
KAS Placement	11/15	7	Yes	Contingency, Retained	Knowledge of professional services industries
Treeline, Inc	10/15	8	No	Contingency, Temporary, Contract, Self-Sourcing	Rapid hiring processes
Talentfoot	9/15	9	No	Retained, Engagement, Contingency	Client-first recruiting partnerships
Sales Talent Inc	8/15	10	No	Contingency, Retained	Headhunting approach

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Who should use a sales recruiting agency in NYC?

Companies hiring sales talent in New York City’s technology market often benefit from partnering with a specialized sales recruiting agency. These firms are particularly valuable for AI startups, venture-backed SaaS companies, and enterprise technology organizations that need experienced SDRs, Account Executives, Sales Engineers, Customer Success professionals, or sales leaders. Organizations building their first go-to-market team, expanding into new markets, replacing key revenue hires, or scaling rapidly after a funding round can often hire faster and access higher-quality candidates through recruiters with established sales talent networks and deep knowledge of the NYC tech market.

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Making Sales Hires in NYC?

Betts hires AI-native sales talent across the sales motion and seniority spectrum. A non-exhaustive list is below:

• Sales Development Representative 
• Account Executive 
• Enterprise Account Executive 
• Account Manager
• Customer Success Manager 
• Enterprise Customer Success Manager
• Sales Engineer
• Solutions Architect 
• Implementation Consultant
• Go-to-Market (GTM) Engineer
• AI / Forward Deployed Engineer
• Sales Operations Manager
• Director of Sales
• Head of AI Enablement

… and many more

Check out our Comp Engine for real-time benchmarks based on role, location, and funding stage. For more data-backed insights into the trends influencing these ranges, see our 2026 Compensation and Enterprise Compensation Guides. 

Connect with us today to secure future-ready sales talent. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sales recruiting agency?

A sales recruiting agency specializes in sourcing, screening, and placing sales professionals, from Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and Account Executives (AEs) to sales leaders and revenue executives. Unlike general staffing firms, specialized sales recruiters understand sales performance metrics, compensation structures, and the skills required to succeed in different sales environments.

Why should technology companies use a specialized sales recruiting agency?

Technology companies often require sales professionals who can sell complex products, navigate technical buying committees, and communicate with both business and technical stakeholders. Specialized technology recruiting firms maintain networks of candidates with SaaS, AI, cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise software experience, making them better equipped than generalist staffing agencies to identify qualified talent.

What should I look for in a sales recruiting agency in New York City?

When evaluating sales recruiting agencies, consider:

• Sales recruiting specialization
• Experience hiring for AI and SaaS companies
• Physical presence or recruiting network in NYC
• Published compensation guides or hiring research
• Candidate network and sourcing capabilities
• Hiring models (contingency, retained, RaaS, embedded recruiting)
• Average time-to-fill
• Relevant client case studies

How much do sales recruiting agencies charge?

Most contingency recruiting firms charge between 15% and 30% of a placed candidate’s first-year base salary or on-target earnings (OTE). Executive search engagements typically command higher fees, while subscription-based recruiting models such as Recruitment as a Service (RaaS) generally use monthly or annual pricing.

How long does it take to hire a salesperson through a recruiting agency?

Most specialized sales recruiting firms present qualified candidates within one to two weeks, while complete hiring processes generally take two to six weeks, depending on interview availability, role complexity, and the client’s hiring process. Firms with proprietary talent platforms or established candidate communities may shorten timelines further.

What industries do sales recruiting agencies support?

Many leading NYC sales recruiting firms specialize in hiring for:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• SaaS
• Cloud Computing
• Cybersecurity
• FinTech
• HealthTech
• AdTech
• Enterprise Software
• DevTools
• Data Infrastructure

What’s the difference between a sales recruiting agency and a staffing agency?

Sales recruiting agencies focus on permanent sales hiring and maintain specialized networks of sales professionals. Traditional staffing agencies often recruit across many functions and frequently emphasize temporary or contract placements.

What sales roles do recruiting agencies typically fill?

Many firms recruit for:

• Sales Development Representatives (SDRs)
• Business Development Representatives (BDRs)
• Account Executives
• Enterprise Account Executives
• Sales Engineers
• Customer Success Managers
• Revenue Operations (RevOps)
• Sales Managers
• Directors and Vice Presidents of Sales

Are NYC sales recruiting agencies only for companies located in New York?

No. Many NYC-based recruiting firms support remote and hybrid hiring across North America while leveraging their deep understanding of New York’s technology ecosystem and talent market.

Why is hiring sales talent for AI companies different from traditional sales hiring?

AI sales professionals often need to explain technically sophisticated products, engage multiple stakeholders, and demonstrate business value across longer enterprise sales cycles. Employers increasingly seek candidates with technical fluency, consultative selling skills, and experience selling software to complex buying committees, making specialized recruiters especially valuable.

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Glossary

Account Executive (AE)

A quota-carrying sales professional responsible for managing the sales cycle, from qualified opportunity through contract negotiation and close.

AI Sales

Selling artificial intelligence software, infrastructure, or platforms to business customers. AI sales often involves explaining technical concepts, integrations, automation workflows, and business outcomes to both technical and executive stakeholders.

BDR (Business Development Representative)

A sales professional primarily responsible for outbound prospecting and generating new business opportunities through cold outreach.

Contingency Recruiting

A recruiting model in which the agency receives payment only after successfully placing a candidate.

Embedded Recruiting

A recruiting engagement in which recruiters function as an extension of a company’s internal talent acquisition team, often supporting ongoing or high-volume hiring.

Go-to-Market (GTM)

The teams, processes, and strategy a company uses to acquire and retain customers. GTM functions commonly include Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Revenue Operations, and Sales Engineering.

On-Target Earnings (OTE)

The total annual compensation a salesperson can expect to earn upon achieving 100% of quota, consisting of base salary plus variable commission.

Passive Candidate

A professional who is currently employed and not actively searching for a new role but may be open to the right opportunity.

Recruitment as a Service (RaaS)

A subscription-based recruiting model that provides ongoing hiring support, recruiter expertise, and often access to recruiting technology or talent platforms instead of charging a fee for each individual placement.

Revenue Operations (RevOps)

The function responsible for aligning sales, marketing, and customer success through shared technology, forecasting, reporting, and operational processes.

Sales Development Representative (SDR)

An early-career sales professional responsible for identifying, qualifying, and engaging prospective customers before handing opportunities to an Account Executive.

Sales Recruiting Agency

A recruiting firm specializing in sourcing, evaluating, and placing sales professionals, often with expertise in compensation, sales methodologies, industry-specific hiring trends, and go-to-market organizational design.

Technical Sales

A sales discipline focused on selling technically sophisticated products, such as AI platforms, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity software, or enterprise SaaS solutions, where success requires both commercial and technical knowledge.

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• Written By: The Betts Team
• Fact Checked By: Sandra Polak, VP of Revenue
• Updated: July 20, 2026

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