Recruiter salary in the Central Indiana nonmetro area
Hiring a recruiter costs less in the Central Indiana nonmetro area than in Indiana or the country as a whole. The median is $61,520 a year1: 6.2% below the Indiana statewide median of $65,600 and 19.0% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#430 of 521). About 670 recruiters work here, 4% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Central Indiana nonmetro area against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Indiana (Nonmetro) | $40,840 | $61,520 | $102,870 | |
| Indiana | $44,810 | $65,600 | $106,830 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in the Central Indiana nonmetro area earns $48,440–$78,980. The top tenth earns $102,870 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($66,990) is 9% 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 $30,540 wide, against $32,290 across Indiana and $40,770 nationally: employers in the Central Indiana nonmetro area 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 | $40,840 | $3,403 | $19.63 | $52,697 |
| 25th percentile | $48,440 | $4,037 | $23.29 | $62,503 |
| Median | $61,520 | $5,127 | $29.58 | $79,381 |
| 75th percentile | $78,980 | $6,582 | $37.97 | $101,910 |
| 90th percentile | $102,870 | $8,572 | $49.46 | $132,735 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $17,460 a year in pay and about $22,529 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,080 in pay. 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 the Central Indiana nonmetro area, and the Indiana statewide median of $65,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Central Indiana nonmetro area
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 $17,861 to the $61,520 median and brings it to $79,381 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 the Central Indiana nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Central Indiana nonmetro area, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between office managers ($66,040) and marketing specialists ($60,010). Project Coordinator is the highest at $75,700.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +21.4% | 840 | |
| Office Manager | +7.3% | 1,020 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 670 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.5% | 410 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.3% | 530 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in the Central Indiana nonmetro area (-19.0%), between sales development representatives (-15.0%) and payroll specialists (-19.7%). The typical role here is at -13.8%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in the Central Indiana nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 6.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Central Indiana nonmetro area, 6.4% across Indiana and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Indiana
Across the 15 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $60,990 in Muncie to $67,690 in Michigan City-La Porte, a gap of $6,700 a year. All 4 areas in Indiana with more recruiters than the Central Indiana nonmetro area also pay more, among them Indianapolis-Carmel, IN ($67,300) and Fort Wayne, IN ($65,510).
| Area | Median | vs the Central Indiana nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville, IN | +3.3% | 660 | |
| Southern Indiana (Nonmetro) | +1.9% | 760 | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | +1.6% | 820 | |
| Columbus, IN | +1.3% | 340 | |
| Terre Haute, IN | +0.3% | 240 | |
| Central Indiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 670 | |
| Muncie, IN | -0.9% | 200 |
the Central Indiana nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Central Indiana nonmetro area is #183 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 Indiana, Homosassa Springs and Myrtle Beach-Conway pay just above the Central Indiana nonmetro area and Charleston and Rome just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in the Central Indiana nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Central Indiana nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | +10.9% | 670 | jobs | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | +5.2% | 670 | jobs | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | +2.5% | 670 | jobs | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +0.1% | 560 | pay | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | +0.0% | 140 | pay | |
| Central Indiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 670 | ||
| Charleston, WV | -0.0% | 540 | pay | |
| Rome, GA | -0.1% | 220 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Central Indiana (Nonmetro)?
About $79,381 a year at the median, or $6,615 a month: $61,520 in pay plus about $17,861 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in the Central Indiana nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,520 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,840, the 90th $102,870, and the middle half earned $48,440 to $78,980.
Is the Central Indiana nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Indiana for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,520 against $65,600 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is Terre Haute at $61,730, the next down Muncie at $60,990.
How many recruiters work in the Central Indiana nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 670 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Indiana total of 17,110. 5 areas in Indiana have more; the closest in size is South Bend-Mishawaka, with about 670.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in the Central Indiana nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,510 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,520 and $60,010.
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.