Recruiter salary in Boulder, CO
Boulder is the most expensive place in Colorado to hire a recruiter. The median is $86,200 a year1, 6.6% above the Colorado statewide median of $80,840 and 13.5% above the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #11 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,480 people in this job here, 8% of the Colorado total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Boulder, CO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Boulder against Colorado and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | $56,420 | $86,200 | $159,370 | |
| Colorado | $51,290 | $80,840 | $133,850 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Boulder earns $66,810–$124,990. The top tenth earns $159,370 or more, 2.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($99,420) is 15% 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 $58,180 wide, wider than in Colorado as a whole ($42,350) and the US ($40,770), so what a recruiter earns in Boulder depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $56,420 | $4,702 | $27.12 | $72,800 |
| 25th percentile | $66,810 | $5,568 | $32.12 | $86,206 |
| Median | $86,200 | $7,183 | $41.44 | $111,226 |
| 75th percentile | $124,990 | $10,416 | $60.09 | $161,277 |
| 90th percentile | $159,370 | $13,281 | $76.62 | $205,639 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $38,790 over the median, the 25th only $19,390 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $50,052 a year in employer cost. 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 25th percentile and the median in Boulder, and the Colorado statewide median of $80,840 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Boulder
At the $86,200 median, a local hire costs about $111,226 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $25,026 here. 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 Boulder
Of the 17 roles we track in Boulder, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($97,600) and office managers ($79,450). Project Coordinator is the highest at $122,040.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +16.0% | 3,230 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +13.2% | 3,130 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 1,480 | |
| Office Manager | -7.8% | 1,910 | |
| Executive Assistant | -8.2% | 880 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Boulder (+13.5%), between payroll specialists (+13.5%) and bookkeepers (+13.1%). The typical role here is at +13.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 6.3% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Boulder, 6.1% across Colorado and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Colorado
Across the 10 areas of Colorado with data for this job, the median runs from $66,660 in Grand Junction to $86,200 in Boulder, a gap of $19,540 a year. All 2 areas in Colorado with more recruiters than Boulder pay less, among them Denver-Aurora, CO ($82,550) and Colorado Springs, CO ($79,000).
| Area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | this area | 1,480 | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | -4.2% | 12,520 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -8.4% | 1,800 | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -8.9% | 900 | |
| Greeley, CO | -11.6% | 580 | |
| Northwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | -15.0% | 580 | |
| Pueblo, CO | -20.2% | 290 |
Boulder against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Boulder is #87 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Colorado, Olympia-Lacey and New York-Newark pay just above Boulder and Bridgeport-Stamford and Santa Cruz-Watsonville just below. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +4.2% | 52,370 | pay | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +0.6% | 1,410 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | this area | 1,480 | ||
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | -0.8% | 2,350 | pay | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -1.8% | 450 | pay | |
| Toledo, OH | -22.0% | 1,500 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | -27.3% | 1,500 | jobs | |
| Tallahassee, FL | -33.5% | 1,470 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Boulder, CO?
About $111,226 a year at the median, or $9,269 a month: $86,200 in pay plus about $25,026 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Boulder?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $86,200 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $56,420, the 90th $159,370, and the middle half earned $66,810 to $124,990.
Is Boulder the most expensive area in Colorado for recruiters?
Yes. Its median of $86,200 is the highest of 10 areas in Colorado. Denver-Aurora comes next at $82,550.
How many recruiters work in Boulder?
BLS counts about 1,480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Colorado total of 19,450. Only Denver-Aurora and Colorado Springs have more in Colorado.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Boulder?
Yes: $6,750 a year more at the median. The medians are $86,200 and $79,450.
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.