Recruiter salary in Johnson City, TN
Hiring a recruiter costs less in Johnson City than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $61,730 a year1: 8.4% below the Tennessee statewide median of $67,370 and 18.7% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#418 of 521). About 360 recruiters work here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Johnson City, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnson City against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | $42,320 | $61,730 | $110,950 | |
| Tennessee | $45,630 | $67,370 | $109,990 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Johnson City earns $46,180–$81,100. The top tenth earns $110,950 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($69,200) 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 $34,920 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 | $42,320 | $3,527 | $20.35 | $54,606 |
| 25th percentile | $46,180 | $3,848 | $22.20 | $59,587 |
| Median | $61,730 | $5,144 | $29.68 | $79,652 |
| 75th percentile | $81,100 | $6,758 | $38.99 | $104,645 |
| 90th percentile | $110,950 | $9,246 | $53.34 | $143,161 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $19,370 a year in pay and about $24,994 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,550 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 Johnson City, and the Tennessee statewide median of $67,370 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Johnson City
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 $17,922 to the $61,730 median and brings it to $79,652 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 Johnson City
Of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($64,710) and office managers ($59,420). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,100.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +26.5% | 300 | |
| Accountant | +4.8% | 510 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 360 | |
| Office Manager | -3.7% | 1,420 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -4.8% | 220 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City (-18.7%), between customer support specialists (-18.3%) and bookkeepers (-19.7%). The typical role here is at -19.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 3.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Johnson City, 5.9% across Tennessee and 5.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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. Of the 11 areas in Tennessee with more recruiters than Johnson City, 2 pay less: Chattanooga, TN-GA ($61,660) and the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area ($60,710).
| Area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +3.8% | 440 | |
| Jackson, TN | +2.8% | 370 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +0.1% | 530 | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 360 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -0.1% | 1,550 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 570 | |
| Cleveland, TN | -1.9% | 200 |
Johnson City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnson City is #321 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 Tennessee, Weirton-Steubenville and Omaha pay just above Johnson City and Terre Haute and Punta Gorda just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Johnson City. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +13.2% | 360 | jobs | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | +1.6% | 360 | jobs | |
| Bowling Green, KY | +0.2% | 360 | jobs | |
| Omaha, NE-IA | +0.2% | 4,330 | pay | |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | +0.1% | 120 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 360 | ||
| Terre Haute, IN | +0.0% | 240 | pay | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | -0.0% | 240 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Johnson City, TN?
About $79,652 a year at the median, or $6,638 a month: $61,730 in pay plus about $17,922 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Johnson City?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,320, the 90th $110,950, and the middle half earned $46,180 to $81,100.
Is Johnson City cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,730 against $67,370 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is the East Tennessee nonmetro area at $61,810, the next down Chattanooga at $61,660.
How many recruiters work in Johnson City?
BLS counts about 360 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 21,460. 11 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Jackson, with about 370.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Johnson City?
Yes: $2,310 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,730 and $59,420.
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.