Recruiter salary in Charlottesville, VA
No other area in Virginia pays recruiters more than Charlottesville: the median is $82,430 a year1. That is about level with the Virginia statewide median of $82,090, and 8.5% above the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #20 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. About 610 recruiters work here, 2% of the Virginia total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Charlottesville, VA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Charlottesville against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | $48,880 | $82,430 | $137,200 | |
| Virginia | $48,530 | $82,090 | $136,660 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
Recruiters at the 90th percentile earn $137,200, 2.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of recruiters in Charlottesville earns $62,560–$106,550. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $43,990 wide, between the figure for Virginia ($46,900) 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 | $48,880 | $4,073 | $23.50 | $63,071 |
| 25th percentile | $62,560 | $5,213 | $30.08 | $80,723 |
| Median | $82,430 | $6,869 | $39.63 | $106,361 |
| 75th percentile | $106,550 | $8,879 | $51.23 | $137,484 |
| 90th percentile | $137,200 | $11,433 | $65.96 | $177,032 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $19,870 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $24,120, or about $31,123 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 25th percentile and the median in Charlottesville, and the Virginia statewide median of $82,090 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Charlottesville
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 $23,931 to the $82,430 median and brings it to $106,361 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 Charlottesville
Of the 17 roles we track in Charlottesville, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($97,680); accountants come next at $81,530.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +18.5% | 1,010 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 610 | |
| Accountant | -1.1% | 1,100 | |
| Executive Assistant | -9.8% | 320 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -12.6% | 700 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Charlottesville (+8.5%), between administrative assistants (+11.7%) and bookkeepers (+4.0%). The typical role here is at -2.9%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost more in Charlottesville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 5.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Charlottesville, 6.7% across Virginia and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $62,310 in Harrisonburg to $82,430 in Charlottesville, a gap of $20,120 a year. All 3 areas in Virginia with more recruiters than Charlottesville pay less, among them Richmond, VA ($79,340) and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC ($76,240).
| Area | Median | vs Charlottesville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | this area | 610 | |
| Richmond, VA | -3.7% | 4,540 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -4.1% | 460 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -5.0% | 270 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -7.5% | 4,290 | |
| Southside Virginia (Nonmetro) | -15.0% | 390 | |
| Northwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | -15.1% | 210 |
Charlottesville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Charlottesville is #198 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Virginia, New Haven and Denver-Aurora pay just above Charlottesville and Baltimore-Columbia and Santa Rosa-Petaluma just below. All four are within $890 a year of the median in Charlottesville. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Charlottesville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +0.1% | 12,520 | pay | |
| New Haven, CT | +0.1% | 1,230 | pay | |
| Charlottesville, VA | this area | 610 | ||
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | -0.1% | 7,930 | pay | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | -1.1% | 920 | pay | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -5.3% | 610 | jobs | |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | -21.3% | 620 | jobs | |
| Lubbock, TX | -26.7% | 610 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Charlottesville, VA?
About $106,361 a year at the median, or $8,863 a month: $82,430 in pay plus about $23,931 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Charlottesville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $82,430 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $48,880, the 90th $137,200, and the middle half earned $62,560 to $106,550.
Is Charlottesville the most expensive area in Virginia for recruiters?
Yes. Its median of $82,430 is the highest of 13 areas in Virginia. Richmond comes next at $79,340.
How many recruiters work in Charlottesville?
BLS counts about 610 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Virginia total of 28,540. 3 areas in Virginia have more; the closest in size is Roanoke, with about 780.
Does a recruiter cost more than an accountant in Charlottesville?
Yes: $900 a year more at the median. The medians are $82,430 and $81,530.
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.