Recruiter salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Lafayette-West Lafayette is a lower-cost market for recruiters: the median of $64,140 a year1 is 2.2% below the Indiana statewide median of $65,600, and 15.5% below the US median of $75,940. Among US areas it comes in at #313 of 521. BLS counts about 510 people in this job here, 3% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $43,520 | $64,140 | $99,410 | |
| Indiana | $44,810 | $65,600 | $106,830 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Lafayette-West Lafayette earns $54,120–$79,720. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $99,410, only 2.3 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 $25,600 wide, against $32,290 across Indiana and $40,770 nationally: employers in Lafayette-West Lafayette 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 | $43,520 | $3,627 | $20.92 | $56,155 |
| 25th percentile | $54,120 | $4,510 | $26.02 | $69,832 |
| Median | $64,140 | $5,345 | $30.84 | $82,761 |
| 75th percentile | $79,720 | $6,643 | $38.33 | $102,865 |
| 90th percentile | $99,410 | $8,284 | $47.79 | $128,271 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $15,580 over the median, the 25th only $10,020 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $20,103 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, and the Indiana statewide median of $65,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette-West Lafayette
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 $18,621 to the $64,140 median and brings it to $82,761 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette-West Lafayette, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between executive assistants ($64,970) and marketing specialists ($64,120). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,330.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +5.4% | 780 | |
| Executive Assistant | +1.3% | 180 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 510 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -0.0% | 280 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -2.0% | 450 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #13 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette-West Lafayette (-15.5%), between executive assistants (-15.2%) and project coordinators (-18.6%). The typical role here is at -8.2%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Lafayette-West Lafayette than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 6.8% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette-West Lafayette, 6.4% across Indiana and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Indiana
Across the 15 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $60,990 in Muncie to $67,690 in Michigan City-La Porte, a gap of $6,700 a year. Of the 8 areas in Indiana with more recruiters than Lafayette-West Lafayette, 5 pay less, the largest of them the Northern Indiana nonmetro area ($62,530), the Southern Indiana nonmetro area ($62,680) and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI ($63,700).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette-West Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo, IN | +3.2% | 130 | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | +2.1% | 1,150 | |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | +1.1% | 620 | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | this area | 510 | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -0.7% | 670 | |
| Evansville, IN | -1.0% | 660 | |
| Southern Indiana (Nonmetro) | -2.3% | 760 |
Lafayette-West Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette-West Lafayette is #244 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Indiana, Farmington and St. Joseph pay just above Lafayette-West Lafayette and Montgomery and Lake Charles just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Lafayette-West Lafayette. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette-West Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | +21.2% | 510 | jobs | |
| Bloomington, IL | +15.7% | 510 | jobs | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | +0.1% | 250 | pay | |
| Farmington, NM | +0.0% | 160 | pay | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | this area | 510 | ||
| Montgomery, AL | +0.0% | 970 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -0.0% | 280 | pay | |
| Florence, SC | -4.4% | 510 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
About $82,761 a year at the median, or $6,897 a month: $64,140 in pay plus about $18,621 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The median was $64,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,520, the 90th $99,410, and the middle half earned $54,120 to $79,720.
Is Lafayette-West Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Indiana for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $64,140 against $65,600 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is Elkhart-Goshen at $64,860, the next down South Bend-Mishawaka at $63,700.
How many recruiters work in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
BLS counts about 510 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Indiana total of 17,110. 8 areas in Indiana have more; the closest in size is Elkhart-Goshen, with about 620.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Yes: $20 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,140 and $64,120.
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.