Recruiter salary in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Hiring a recruiter costs less in Kalamazoo-Portage than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $64,560 a year1: 7.1% below the Michigan statewide median of $69,520 and 15.0% below the US median of $75,940. Nationally it ranks #301 of 521 areas. About 690 recruiters work here, 3% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Kalamazoo-Portage, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kalamazoo-Portage against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $45,000 | $64,560 | $99,220 | |
| Michigan | $46,580 | $69,520 | $110,710 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Kalamazoo-Portage earns $50,640–$79,640. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $99,220, 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 only $29,000 wide, against $33,710 across Michigan and $40,770 nationally: employers in Kalamazoo-Portage pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $21.63 | $58,065 |
| 25th percentile | $50,640 | $4,220 | $24.35 | $65,342 |
| Median | $64,560 | $5,380 | $31.04 | $83,303 |
| 75th percentile | $79,640 | $6,637 | $38.29 | $102,761 |
| 90th percentile | $99,220 | $8,268 | $47.70 | $128,026 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $15,080 a year in pay and about $19,458 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,920 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 Kalamazoo-Portage, and the Michigan statewide median of $69,520 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kalamazoo-Portage
At the $64,560 median, a local hire costs about $83,303 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,743 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 Kalamazoo-Portage
Of the 17 roles we track in Kalamazoo-Portage, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between office managers ($65,640) and marketing specialists ($61,820). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,590.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +9.9% | 250 | |
| Office Manager | +1.7% | 880 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 690 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -4.2% | 610 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -4.9% | 550 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in Kalamazoo-Portage (-15.0%), between sales development representatives (-12.2%) and paralegals (-15.6%). The typical role here is at -7.0%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Kalamazoo-Portage than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 6.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Kalamazoo-Portage, 6.3% across Michigan and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $60,280 in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area to $77,770 in Ann Arbor, a gap of $17,490 a year. All 4 areas in Michigan with more recruiters than Kalamazoo-Portage also pay more, among them Detroit-Warren, MI ($75,830) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($65,760).
| Area | Median | vs Kalamazoo-Portage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw, MI | +2.3% | 400 | |
| Niles, MI | +2.3% | 270 | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +1.9% | 3,490 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | this area | 690 | |
| Traverse City, MI | -0.1% | 270 | |
| Flint, MI | -0.5% | 600 | |
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | -0.5% | 570 |
Kalamazoo-Portage against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kalamazoo-Portage is #175 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Kingsport-Bristol and Hickory-Lenoir pay just above Kalamazoo-Portage and Paducah and Wilmington just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Kalamazoo-Portage. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kalamazoo-Portage | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA-AL | +1.5% | 700 | jobs | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | +0.2% | 670 | pay | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | +0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | this area | 690 | ||
| Paducah, KY-IL | -0.1% | 210 | pay | |
| Wilmington, NC | -0.2% | 850 | pay | |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | -2.6% | 680 | jobs | |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | -6.2% | 690 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
About $83,303 a year at the median, or $6,942 a month: $64,560 in pay plus about $18,743 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Kalamazoo-Portage?
The median was $64,560 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,000, the 90th $99,220, and the middle half earned $50,640 to $79,640.
Is Kalamazoo-Portage cheaper than the rest of Michigan for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $64,560 against $69,520 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Grand Rapids-Wyoming at $65,760, the next down Traverse City at $64,480.
How many recruiters work in Kalamazoo-Portage?
BLS counts about 690 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Michigan total of 25,520. 4 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Ann Arbor, with about 1,110.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Yes: $2,740 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,560 and $61,820.
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.