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Recruiter salary and cost of hiring in Iowa

The median recruiter in Iowa earned $66,710 a year in May 2025[1], 12.2% below the US median of $75,940. That puts Iowa at #40 of 51 states for this job.

$5,559median pay per month in Iowa
$7,942employer cost per month with benefits
$32.07median pay per hour
7,930people in this job in Iowa

BLS occupation 13-1071. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Iowa$45,400$66,710$110,640
United States$47,180$75,940$128,720
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of recruiters in Iowa earns $53,890–$85,770; the top tenth earns $110,640 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Iowa median that makes about $95,300 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$95,300local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Iowa

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$79,670
$99,7301,420
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$71,600
$97,8402,450
Iowa City, IA
$71,120
$85,460480
Ames, IA
$70,060
$85,800260
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$65,490
$81,700930
Dubuque, IA
$64,390
$80,370380
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$63,250
$81,440590
Cedar Rapids, IA
$63,070
$80,290670
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$63,060
$81,510300
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
$63,040
$82,580280
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$62,850
$79,990460
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$61,900
$80,070360

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL pays the most ($79,670) and Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA the least ($61,900): $17,770 a year apart for the same job.

What a recruiter does

A recruiter finds and attracts candidates, screens them, manages the interview process and closes offers for the hiring managers.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Iowa
Wyoming
$66,970
+0.4%
West Virginia
$66,860
+0.2%
Iowa
$66,710
+0.0%
Florida
$66,410
-0.4%
Indiana
$65,600
-1.7%

Questions

How much does a recruiter earn in Iowa?

The median was $66,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $53,890 to $85,770.

What does it cost to employ a recruiter in Iowa?

About $95,300 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Iowa do recruiters earn the most?

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, with a median of $79,670 a year.

Other roles in Iowa

Hire recruiters remotely

How to hire recruiters

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131071.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.