Recruiter salary in Charleston, WV
Hiring a recruiter costs less in Charleston than in West Virginia or the country as a whole. The median is $61,500 a year1: 8.0% below the West Virginia statewide median of $66,860 and 19.0% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#431 of 521). With about 540 recruiters, 17% of the West Virginia total, no area in West Virginia employs more.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Charleston, WV. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Charleston against West Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, WV | $41,590 | $61,500 | $102,330 | |
| West Virginia | $44,490 | $66,860 | $115,920 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Charleston earns $51,400–$78,700. The top tenth earns $102,330 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($67,810) 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 only $27,300 wide, against $38,900 across West Virginia and $40,770 nationally: employers in Charleston 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 | $41,590 | $3,466 | $20.00 | $53,665 |
| 25th percentile | $51,400 | $4,283 | $24.71 | $66,323 |
| Median | $61,500 | $5,125 | $29.57 | $79,355 |
| 75th percentile | $78,700 | $6,558 | $37.84 | $101,548 |
| 90th percentile | $102,330 | $8,528 | $49.20 | $132,039 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $17,200 over the median, the 25th only $10,100 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $22,194 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 median and the 75th percentile in Charleston, and the West Virginia statewide median of $66,860 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Charleston
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 $17,855 to the $61,500 median and brings it to $79,355 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 Charleston
Of the 16 roles we track in Charleston, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between executive assistants ($62,270) and office managers ($57,670). Project Coordinator is the highest at $89,600.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +8.2% | 890 | |
| Executive Assistant | +1.3% | 230 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 540 | |
| Office Manager | -6.2% | 1,070 | |
| Paralegal | -10.9% | 480 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #12 of the 16 roles we track in Charleston (-19.0%), between executive assistants (-18.7%) and accountants (-20.5%). The typical role here is at -16.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 5.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Charleston, 5.3% across West Virginia and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in West Virginia
Across the 9 areas of West Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $59,810 in Huntington-Ashland to $94,520 in Parkersburg-Vienna, a gap of $34,710 a year. No other area in West Virginia has as many recruiters, and 1 of the other 8 pays less.
| Area | Median | vs Charleston | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beckley, WV | +2.2% | 140 | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +1.6% | 220 | |
| Northern West Virginia (Nonmetro) | +1.3% | 480 | |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | +0.4% | 120 | |
| Southern West Virginia (Nonmetro) | +0.1% | 190 | |
| Charleston, WV | this area | 540 | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | -2.7% | 540 |
Charleston against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Charleston is #226 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 West Virginia, Homosassa Springs and Myrtle Beach-Conway pay just above Charleston and Rome and Baton Rouge just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Charleston. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Charleston | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | +9.5% | 540 | jobs | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +6.8% | 540 | jobs | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +0.1% | 560 | pay | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | +0.0% | 140 | pay | |
| Charleston, WV | this area | 540 | ||
| Rome, GA | -0.1% | 220 | pay | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -0.2% | 1,960 | pay | |
| Erie, PA | -1.0% | 540 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Charleston, WV?
About $79,355 a year at the median, or $6,613 a month: $61,500 in pay plus about $17,855 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in Charleston?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,500 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,590, the 90th $102,330, and the middle half earned $51,400 to $78,700.
Is Charleston cheaper than the rest of West Virginia for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,500 against $66,860 statewide. The next area up in West Virginia is the Southern West Virginia nonmetro area at $61,580, the next down Huntington-Ashland at $59,810.
How many recruiters work in Charleston?
BLS counts about 540 in the May 2025 survey. That is 17% of the West Virginia total of 3,130. No other area in West Virginia has as many.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Charleston?
Yes: $3,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,500 and $57,670.
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.