Recruiter salary in Bowling Green, KY
Hiring a recruiter costs less in Bowling Green than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $61,860 a year1: 10.4% below the Kentucky statewide median of $69,010 and 18.5% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#410 of 521). BLS counts about 360 people in this job here, 3% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Bowling Green, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bowling Green against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | $43,530 | $61,860 | $102,130 | |
| Kentucky | $43,690 | $69,010 | $107,940 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Bowling Green earns $46,630–$81,400. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $102,130, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($68,260) is 10% 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 $34,770 wide, between the figure for Kentucky ($32,310) and the US figure ($40,770).
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,530 | $3,628 | $20.93 | $56,168 |
| 25th percentile | $46,630 | $3,886 | $22.42 | $60,168 |
| Median | $61,860 | $5,155 | $29.74 | $79,819 |
| 75th percentile | $81,400 | $6,783 | $39.13 | $105,032 |
| 90th percentile | $102,130 | $8,511 | $49.10 | $131,781 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,230 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $19,540, or about $25,213 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 Bowling Green, and the Kentucky statewide median of $69,010 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Bowling Green
At the $61,860 median, a local hire costs about $79,819 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,959 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 Bowling Green
Of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between executive assistants ($64,290) and office managers ($61,250). Project Coordinator is the highest at $81,300.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +15.6% | 390 | |
| Executive Assistant | +3.9% | 60 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 360 | |
| Office Manager | -1.0% | 650 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.7% | 240 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #12 of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green (-18.5%), between medical administrative assistants (-17.4%) and project coordinators (-20.5%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Bowling Green than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 5.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Bowling Green, 5.6% across Kentucky and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $54,180 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $78,850 in Elizabethtown, a gap of $24,670 a year. Of the 6 areas in Kentucky with more recruiters than Bowling Green, 2 pay less: the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($57,720) and the West Kentucky nonmetro area ($59,220).
| Area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah, KY-IL | +4.3% | 210 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +3.3% | 880 | |
| Owensboro, KY | +0.9% | 170 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 360 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -4.3% | 490 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -6.7% | 700 | |
| East Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -12.4% | 310 |
Bowling Green against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bowling Green is #320 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Waterloo-Cedar Falls and Williamsport pay just above Bowling Green and Omaha and Weirton-Steubenville just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Bowling Green. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +13.0% | 360 | jobs | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | +1.4% | 360 | jobs | |
| Williamsport, PA | +0.1% | 220 | pay | |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | +0.1% | 360 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 360 | ||
| Omaha, NE-IA | -0.0% | 4,330 | pay | |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | -0.1% | 120 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | -0.2% | 360 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Bowling Green, KY?
About $79,819 a year at the median, or $6,652 a month: $61,860 in pay plus about $17,959 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in Bowling Green?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,860 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,530, the 90th $102,130, and the middle half earned $46,630 to $81,400.
Is Bowling Green cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,860 against $69,010 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Owensboro at $62,440, the next down the West Kentucky nonmetro area at $59,220.
How many recruiters work in Bowling Green?
BLS counts about 360 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Kentucky total of 10,900. 6 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the West Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 490.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Bowling Green?
Yes: $610 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,860 and $61,250.
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.