Recruiter salary in Lewiston-Auburn, ME
Lewiston-Auburn is the least expensive place in Maine to hire a recruiter. The median is $58,240 a year1, 18.7% below the Maine statewide median of $71,630 and 23.3% below the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #486 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 300 recruiters work here, 10% of the Maine total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Lewiston-Auburn, ME. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lewiston-Auburn against Maine and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $36,200 | $58,240 | $104,210 | |
| Maine | $45,850 | $71,630 | $105,840 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
Recruiters at the 90th percentile earn $104,210, 2.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of recruiters in Lewiston-Auburn earns $45,410–$82,920. The mean ($66,130) is 14% 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 $37,510 wide, between the figure for Maine ($32,170) 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 | $36,200 | $3,017 | $17.40 | $46,710 |
| 25th percentile | $45,410 | $3,784 | $21.83 | $58,594 |
| Median | $58,240 | $4,853 | $28.00 | $75,148 |
| 75th percentile | $82,920 | $6,910 | $39.87 | $106,994 |
| 90th percentile | $104,210 | $8,684 | $50.10 | $134,465 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,680 over the median, the 25th only $12,830 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $31,845 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 Lewiston-Auburn, and the Maine statewide median of $71,630 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lewiston-Auburn
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 $16,908 to the $58,240 median and brings it to $75,148 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 Lewiston-Auburn
Of the 16 roles we track in Lewiston-Auburn, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between paralegals ($58,430) and sales development representatives ($57,920). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,490.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +9.0% | 110 | |
| Paralegal | +0.3% | 90 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 300 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -0.5% | 150 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -6.0% | 40 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 16 roles we track in Lewiston-Auburn (-23.3%); medical administrative assistants come first (+3.9%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Lewiston-Auburn than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 7.8% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lewiston-Auburn, 5.5% across Maine and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Maine
Across the 5 areas of Maine with data for this job, the median runs from $58,240 in Lewiston-Auburn to $78,100 in Portland-South Portland, a gap of $19,860 a year. All 3 areas in Maine with more recruiters than Lewiston-Auburn also pay more, among them Portland-South Portland, ME ($78,100) and the Southwest Maine nonmetro area ($68,320).
| Area | Median | vs Lewiston-Auburn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | +34.1% | 1,310 | |
| Northeast Maine (Nonmetro) | +27.0% | 170 | |
| Southwest Maine (Nonmetro) | +17.3% | 570 | |
| Bangor, ME | +9.7% | 350 | |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | this area | 300 |
Lewiston-Auburn against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lewiston-Auburn is #357 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 Maine, Hammond and Tyler pay just above Lewiston-Auburn and St. George and Little Rock-North Little Rock just below. All four are within $600 a year of the median in Lewiston-Auburn. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lewiston-Auburn | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | +19.7% | 300 | jobs | |
| Altoona, PA | +9.7% | 310 | jobs | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | +1.4% | 300 | jobs | |
| Tyler, TX | +0.9% | 490 | pay | |
| Hammond, LA | +0.1% | 140 | pay | |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | this area | 300 | ||
| St. George, UT | -0.2% | 300 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | -1.0% | 1,630 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?
About $75,148 a year at the median, or $6,262 a month: $58,240 in pay plus about $16,908 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Lewiston-Auburn?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $58,240 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,200, the 90th $104,210, and the middle half earned $45,410 to $82,920.
Is Lewiston-Auburn the cheapest area in Maine for recruiters?
Yes. Its median of $58,240 is the lowest of 5 areas in Maine. Bangor is next at $63,900.
How many recruiters work in Lewiston-Auburn?
BLS counts about 300 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Maine total of 3,020. 3 areas in Maine have more; the closest in size is Bangor, with about 350.
Does a recruiter cost more than a sales development representative in Lewiston-Auburn?
Yes: $320 a year more at the median. The medians are $58,240 and $57,920.
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.