Recruiter salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA
Hiring a recruiter costs less in Chattanooga than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $61,660 a year1: 8.5% below the Tennessee statewide median of $67,370 and 18.8% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#421 of 521). BLS counts about 1,550 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Chattanooga, TN-GA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Chattanooga against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $41,090 | $61,660 | $108,550 | |
| Tennessee | $45,630 | $67,370 | $109,990 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Chattanooga earns $48,530–$81,180. The top tenth earns $108,550 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($69,010) is 12% 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 $32,650 wide, between the figure for Tennessee ($31,310) 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 | $41,090 | $3,424 | $19.75 | $53,019 |
| 25th percentile | $48,530 | $4,044 | $23.33 | $62,619 |
| Median | $61,660 | $5,138 | $29.64 | $79,561 |
| 75th percentile | $81,180 | $6,765 | $39.03 | $104,748 |
| 90th percentile | $108,550 | $9,046 | $52.19 | $140,065 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $19,520 a year in pay and about $25,187 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,130 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 Chattanooga, and the Tennessee statewide median of $67,370 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Chattanooga
At the $61,660 median, a local hire costs about $79,561 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,901 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 Chattanooga
Of the 17 roles we track in Chattanooga, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between office managers ($64,150) and paralegals ($59,290). Project Coordinator is the highest at $87,240.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +4.9% | 440 | |
| Office Manager | +4.0% | 3,940 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 1,550 | |
| Paralegal | -3.8% | 530 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -9.0% | 1,630 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Chattanooga (-18.8%), between medical administrative assistants (-15.9%) and sales development representatives (-19.8%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Chattanooga than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 5.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Chattanooga, 5.9% across Tennessee and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $59,820 in Morristown to $70,460 in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, a gap of $10,640 a year. All 3 areas in Tennessee with more recruiters than Chattanooga also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($67,380) and Memphis, TN-MS ($69,150).
| Area | Median | vs Chattanooga | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | +2.9% | 370 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 530 | |
| Johnson City, TN | +0.1% | 360 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | this area | 1,550 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -1.5% | 570 | |
| Cleveland, TN | -1.8% | 200 | |
| Morristown, TN | -3.0% | 190 |
Chattanooga against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Chattanooga is #83 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Punta Gorda and Terre Haute pay just above Chattanooga and Rocky Mount and San Angelo just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Chattanooga. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Chattanooga | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +17.6% | 1,520 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +1.7% | 1,500 | jobs | |
| Terre Haute, IN | +0.1% | 240 | pay | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | +0.1% | 240 | pay | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | this area | 1,550 | ||
| Rocky Mount, NC | +0.0% | 270 | pay | |
| San Angelo, TX | -0.0% | 160 | pay | |
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | -4.6% | 1,580 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Chattanooga, TN-GA?
About $79,561 a year at the median, or $6,630 a month: $61,660 in pay plus about $17,901 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Chattanooga?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,660 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,090, the 90th $108,550, and the middle half earned $48,530 to $81,180.
Is Chattanooga cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,660 against $67,370 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Johnson City at $61,730, the next down the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area at $60,710.
How many recruiters work in Chattanooga?
BLS counts about 1,550 in the May 2025 survey. 3 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Knoxville, with about 2,980.
Does a recruiter cost more than a paralegal in Chattanooga?
Yes: $2,370 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,660 and $59,290.
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.