Recruiter salary in Knoxville, TN
For this job Knoxville sits right at the Tennessee figure, with a median of $67,370 a year1. That is about level with the Tennessee statewide median of $67,370, and 11.3% below the US median of $75,940. Among US areas it comes in at #233 of 521. BLS counts about 2,980 people in this job here, 14% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Knoxville, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Knoxville against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | $46,490 | $67,370 | $107,710 | |
| Tennessee | $45,630 | $67,370 | $109,990 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Knoxville earns $58,240–$83,200. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $107,710, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($74,560) is 11% 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 only $24,960 wide, against $31,310 across Tennessee and $40,770 nationally: employers in Knoxville 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 | $46,490 | $3,874 | $22.35 | $59,987 |
| 25th percentile | $58,240 | $4,853 | $28.00 | $75,148 |
| Median | $67,370 | $5,614 | $32.39 | $86,929 |
| 75th percentile | $83,200 | $6,933 | $40.00 | $107,355 |
| 90th percentile | $107,710 | $8,976 | $51.78 | $138,981 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $15,830 over the median, the 25th only $9,130 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $20,426 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 median and the 75th percentile in Knoxville, and the Tennessee statewide median of $67,370 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Knoxville
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 $19,559 to the $67,370 median and brings it to $86,929 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 Knoxville
Of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($75,380) and executive assistants ($67,310). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,690.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +36.1% | 3,650 | |
| Accountant | +11.9% | 3,240 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 2,980 | |
| Executive Assistant | -0.1% | 570 | |
| Office Manager | -5.6% | 6,170 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Knoxville (-11.3%), between HR assistants (-11.0%) and executive assistants (-12.1%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 6.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Knoxville, 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 2 areas in Tennessee with more recruiters than Knoxville also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($67,380) and Memphis, TN-MS ($69,150).
| Area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +4.6% | 480 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +2.6% | 3,650 | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +0.0% | 8,210 | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 2,980 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -2.5% | 540 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -4.1% | 530 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -4.9% | 440 |
Knoxville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Knoxville is #51 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Tennessee, Spartanburg and Muskegon-Norton Shores pay just above Knoxville and Champaign-Urbana and Indianapolis-Carmel just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Knoxville. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Knoxville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +14.3% | 2,970 | jobs | |
| Madison, WI | +13.8% | 2,810 | jobs | |
| Birmingham, AL | +0.8% | 3,060 | jobs | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +0.1% | 230 | pay | |
| Spartanburg, SC | +0.1% | 850 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | this area | 2,980 | ||
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -0.0% | 540 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -0.1% | 7,150 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Knoxville, TN?
About $86,929 a year at the median, or $7,244 a month: $67,370 in pay plus about $19,559 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in Knoxville?
The median was $67,370 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,490, the 90th $107,710, and the middle half earned $58,240 to $83,200.
Is Knoxville cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for recruiters?
About the same: a median of $67,370 against $67,370 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Nashville-Murfreesboro at $67,380, the next down Clarksville at $65,680.
How many recruiters work in Knoxville?
BLS counts about 2,980 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the Tennessee total of 21,460. Only Nashville-Murfreesboro and Memphis have more in Tennessee.
Does a recruiter cost more than an executive assistant in Knoxville?
Yes: $60 a year more at the median. The medians are $67,370 and $67,310.
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.