Cold email software for executive search firms
Acqro gives executive search and retained recruiting firms cold email that researches each prospect's company before writing. Below: verified federal data on the industry across all 50 states, the buyers it sells to, and a playbook for outreach that earns replies.
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How many executive search firms are in the United States?
The United States had 5,897 establishments in NAICS 561312, executive search services, in 2023, employing 38,564 people. The largest markets by establishments were California, Florida and New York. Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.
Executive search firms in the US by the numbers
- US establishments
- 5,897−5.5% vs 2022Census CBP 2023, NAICS 561312
- Paid employees
- 38,564Census CBP 2023
- Average annual pay
- $144,116Census CBP 2023
- Firms under 10 employees
- 87.2%Census CBP 2023
- Largest state
- CaliforniaBy establishments, CBP 2023
Census does not publish a separate category for executive search and retained recruiting firms; figures use NAICS 561312, Executive Search Services, the closest official industry. 87.2% of establishments have fewer than 10 employees, so most firms in the industry run outbound with a founder or a very small sales team. The 744 firms with 10 to 249 employees are the ones most likely to be building a repeatable outbound process.
The five largest states hold 45.5% of all establishments. Among states with at least 100 establishments, the fastest growth between 2022 and 2023 was in Connecticut (0.0%), Florida (−1.3%) and Massachusetts (−1.6%). Growing markets bring new competitors and new buyers at the same time, which rewards outreach that is specific rather than volume-driven.
Executive search firms by state
All states and DC ranked by number of establishments, with the change since 2022.
| Rank | State | Establishments | Employees | Change vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 789 | 5,516 | −5.6% |
| 2 | Florida | 552 | 2,323 | −1.3% |
| 3 | New York | 530 | 6,050 | −7.3% |
| 4 | Texas | 483 | 3,632 | −3.0% |
| 5 | Illinois | 329 | 2,860 | −11.3% |
| 6 | Georgia | 278 | 1,243 | −10.0% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 233 | 1,021 | −3.3% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 221 | 1,633 | −11.2% |
| 9 | Colorado | 187 | 803 | −7.9% |
| 10 | Ohio | 187 | 1,115 | −9.7% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 182 | 999 | −5.7% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 179 | 1,450 | −1.6% |
| 13 | Virginia | 127 | 857 | −3.8% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 124 | 818 | −2.4% |
| 15 | Arizona | 115 | 453 | −5.7% |
| 16 | Michigan | 115 | 604 | −2.5% |
| 17 | Washington | 104 | 421 | −1.9% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 103 | 864 | 0.0% |
| 19 | Maryland | 92 | 589 | −2.1% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 89 | 487 | −4.3% |
| 21 | South Carolina | 80 | 524 | −9.1% |
| 22 | Indiana | 78 | 244 | −8.2% |
| 23 | Missouri | 73 | 172 | −12.0% |
| 24 | Nevada | 55 | — | +5.8% |
| 25 | Oregon | 55 | 171 | +1.9% |
| 26 | Kansas | 45 | — | −6.2% |
| 27 | Iowa | 43 | 130 | +4.9% |
| 28 | Tennessee | 43 | 189 | −24.6% |
| 29 | Utah | 39 | 70 | −2.5% |
| 30 | Nebraska | 34 | 107 | +3.0% |
| 31 | Alabama | 28 | 157 | 0.0% |
| 32 | Idaho | 28 | — | −3.4% |
| 33 | Louisiana | 28 | 384 | 0.0% |
| 34 | District of Columbia | 25 | 395 | 0.0% |
| 35 | Delaware | 24 | 215 | +20.0% |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 23 | 94 | −4.2% |
| 37 | Kentucky | 21 | 47 | −4.5% |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 21 | — | −4.5% |
| 39 | Maine | 20 | 62 | −4.8% |
| 40 | Arkansas | 19 | 55 | −26.9% |
| 41 | South Dakota | 15 | — | −6.2% |
| 42 | Rhode Island | 14 | 50 | −22.2% |
| 43 | Vermont | 14 | 23 | 0.0% |
| 44 | New Mexico | 11 | — | +22.2% |
| 45 | Hawaii | 10 | — | +11.1% |
| 46 | Montana | 10 | 61 | +11.1% |
| 47 | Mississippi | 7 | — | −12.5% |
| 48 | Wyoming | 6 | — | −14.3% |
| 49 | Alaska | 5 | 65 | −16.7% |
| 50 | North Dakota | 3 | — | −25.0% |
Who executive search firms sell to
Common buyer industries for executive search and retained recruiting firms, with US establishment counts and how many have 10 to 249 employees.
| Buyer industry | Establishments | 10–249 employees | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Publishers | 18,425 | 5,923 | 1,011,187 |
| Manufacturing | 284,452 | 123,720 | 12,335,234 |
| Other Financial Investment Activities | 86,389 | 7,972 | 654,062 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 5,777 | 1,597 | 5,815,843 |
How executive search firms should run cold email
Executive search and retained recruiting firms sell retained search for senior leadership and board roles. These are the contacts, triggers and messages that make a first email relevant rather than generic.
Who to email
- CEO
- Board chair or investor
- CHRO or head of talent
- Founder at growth-stage companies
Signals worth researching
- Executive departures or retirements
- Funding rounds or acquisitions that create new leadership roles
- Senior roles posted publicly for extended periods
- Expansion into new markets requiring regional leadership
What to say
- Reference the leadership change or open role
- Show understanding of the role's context
- Keep the message confidential in tone and brief
What to avoid
- Naming candidates in a cold email
- Contacting multiple executives at once about the same role
Cold email for executive search firms, answered
How many executive search firms are there in the US?
There were 5,897 establishments in NAICS 561312 (Executive Search Services) in 2023, employing 38,564 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
Which states have the most executive search firms?
By establishments in 2023: California (789), Florida (552), New York (530), Texas (483) and Illinois (329). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
How do executive search firms use cold email?
They reference a specific leadership event, such as a departure, a new funding round or a long-open senior role, and offer perspective on the search. Messages should be brief, discreet and addressed to the CEO, board or head of talent.
When do companies hire executive search firms?
When filling senior roles that are critical, confidential or hard to fill, especially after leadership departures, funding rounds, acquisitions and expansion into new markets.
Is cold email legal in the United States?
Yes. The federal CAN-SPAM Act permits commercial email to business contacts without prior consent, provided the message identifies the sender accurately, uses a truthful subject line, includes a valid physical postal address and a working opt-out, and honours opt-out requests promptly. CAN-SPAM applies in every state and preempts most state commercial email laws, except provisions aimed at falsity or deception. This is general information, not legal advice.
Explore related pages
Executive Search Firms by state
Other industries
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from a federal statistical release and is shown with its source and reference year. Figures the agencies withhold or publish with high noise are left out rather than estimated. Page updated September 17, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and 2022: establishments, paid employment for the pay period including March 12, annual payroll, and establishments by employment size. Industries use NAICS 2017 codes.
- Industry definition: NAICS 561312, Executive Search Services, used as the closest official category for executive search and retained recruiting firms.
Built for executive search firms who sell to a finite list
Acqro researches every account on your list and writes the first email from what it finds.
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