Recruiter salary in Elizabethtown, KY
Elizabethtown is the most expensive place in Kentucky to hire a recruiter. The median is $78,850 a year1, 14.3% above the Kentucky statewide median of $69,010 and 3.8% above the US median of $75,940. Only 44 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,060 people in this job here, 10% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Elizabethtown, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Elizabethtown against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown, KY | $54,710 | $78,850 | $119,430 | |
| Kentucky | $43,690 | $69,010 | $107,940 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Elizabethtown earns $67,200–$100,420. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $119,430, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $33,220 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 | $54,710 | $4,559 | $26.30 | $70,594 |
| 25th percentile | $67,200 | $5,600 | $32.31 | $86,710 |
| Median | $78,850 | $6,571 | $37.91 | $101,742 |
| 75th percentile | $100,420 | $8,368 | $48.28 | $129,574 |
| 90th percentile | $119,430 | $9,952 | $57.42 | $154,103 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $21,570 over the median, the 25th only $11,650 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $27,832 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 25th percentile and the median in Elizabethtown, and the Kentucky statewide median of $69,010 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Elizabethtown
At the $78,850 median, a local hire costs about $101,742 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,892 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 Elizabethtown
Recruiters have the highest median of the 15 roles we track in Elizabethtown; virtual receptionists have the lowest, at $33,020.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | this role | 1,060 | |
| Project Coordinator | -2.0% | 160 | |
| Accountant | -6.1% | 250 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -18.2% | 130 | |
| Executive Assistant | -18.4% | 40 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #2 of the 15 roles we track in Elizabethtown (+3.8%), between HR assistants (+8.6%) and payroll specialists (+1.9%). The typical role here is at -13.5%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost more in Elizabethtown than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 19.5% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Elizabethtown, 5.6% across Kentucky and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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. All 2 areas in Kentucky with more recruiters than Elizabethtown pay less, among them Louisville, KY-IN ($71,880) and Lexington-Fayette, KY ($69,990).
| Area | Median | vs Elizabethtown | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown, KY | this area | 1,060 | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -8.8% | 3,680 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | -11.2% | 1,320 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -18.2% | 210 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -19.0% | 880 | |
| Owensboro, KY | -20.8% | 170 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -21.5% | 360 |
Elizabethtown against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Elizabethtown is #118 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Kentucky, Burlington-South Burlington and Colorado Springs pay just above Elizabethtown and Springfield and Mount Vernon-Anacortes just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Elizabethtown. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Elizabethtown | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | +1.8% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | +0.2% | 1,800 | pay | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +0.1% | 600 | pay | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | this area | 1,060 | ||
| Springfield, IL | -0.0% | 950 | pay | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.1% | 230 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -5.2% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | -16.0% | 1,060 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Elizabethtown, KY?
About $101,742 a year at the median, or $8,478 a month: $78,850 in pay plus about $22,892 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in Elizabethtown?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $78,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $54,710, the 90th $119,430, and the middle half earned $67,200 to $100,420.
Is Elizabethtown the most expensive area in Kentucky for recruiters?
Yes. Its median of $78,850 is the highest of 10 areas in Kentucky. Louisville comes next at $71,880.
How many recruiters work in Elizabethtown?
BLS counts about 1,060 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Kentucky total of 10,900. Only Louisville and Lexington-Fayette have more in Kentucky.
Does a recruiter cost more than a project coordinator in Elizabethtown?
Yes: $1,590 a year more at the median. The medians are $78,850 and $77,260.
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.