Recruiter salary in Asheville, NC
Asheville is a lower-cost market for recruiters: the median of $70,210 a year1 is 3.9% below the North Carolina statewide median of $73,070, and 7.5% below the US median of $75,940. Among US areas it comes in at #184 of 521. BLS counts about 910 people in this job here, 3% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Asheville, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Asheville against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | $46,480 | $70,210 | $115,920 | |
| North Carolina | $46,760 | $73,070 | $126,000 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
Recruiters at the 90th percentile earn $115,920, 2.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of recruiters in Asheville earns $55,040–$89,040. The mean ($79,770) is 14% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $34,000 wide, against $40,060 across North Carolina and $40,770 nationally: employers in Asheville pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,480 | $3,873 | $22.35 | $59,974 |
| 25th percentile | $55,040 | $4,587 | $26.46 | $71,019 |
| Median | $70,210 | $5,851 | $33.75 | $90,594 |
| 75th percentile | $89,040 | $7,420 | $42.81 | $114,890 |
| 90th percentile | $115,920 | $9,660 | $55.73 | $149,574 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,170 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $18,830, or about $24,297 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $75,940 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Asheville, and the North Carolina statewide median of $73,070 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Asheville
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $20,384 to the $70,210 median and brings it to $90,594 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for recruiters we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Asheville
Of the 17 roles we track in Asheville, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($80,400) and marketing specialists ($63,760). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,470.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +38.8% | 950 | |
| Accountant | +14.5% | 1,540 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 910 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.2% | 850 | |
| Office Manager | -14.7% | 1,380 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Asheville (-7.5%), between administrative assistants (-6.9%) and HR assistants (-8.4%). The typical role here is at -7.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 4.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Asheville, 6.0% across North Carolina and 5.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $61,660 in Rocky Mount to $81,100 in Durham-Chapel Hill, a gap of $19,440 a year. Of the 8 areas in North Carolina with more recruiters than Asheville, 5 pay less, the largest of them Greensboro-High Point, NC ($67,660), Winston-Salem, NC ($68,540) and the Central North Carolina nonmetro area ($61,780).
| Area | Median | vs Asheville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +11.6% | 8,930 | |
| Fayetteville, NC | +7.4% | 870 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +5.6% | 5,710 | |
| Asheville, NC | this area | 910 | |
| Burlington, NC | -1.0% | 280 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -2.4% | 1,370 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -3.6% | 2,630 |
Asheville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Asheville is #136 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Corvallis and Charleston-North Charleston pay just above Asheville and Killeen-Temple and Harrisburg-Carlisle just below. All four are within $370 a year of the median in Asheville. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Asheville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +16.1% | 920 | jobs | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +11.8% | 900 | jobs | |
| Green Bay, WI | +3.3% | 900 | jobs | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +0.5% | 2,190 | pay | |
| Corvallis, OR | +0.3% | 210 | pay | |
| Asheville, NC | this area | 910 | ||
| Killeen-Temple, TX | -0.1% | 720 | pay | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | -0.1% | 2,640 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Asheville, NC?
About $90,594 a year at the median, or $7,549 a month: $70,210 in pay plus about $20,384 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in Asheville?
The median was $70,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,480, the 90th $115,920, and the middle half earned $55,040 to $89,040.
Is Asheville cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $70,210 against $73,070 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Raleigh-Cary at $74,170, the next down Burlington at $69,500.
How many recruiters work in Asheville?
BLS counts about 910 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the North Carolina total of 31,140. 8 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, with about 970.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in Asheville?
Yes: $6,450 a year more at the median. The medians are $70,210 and $63,760.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.