Recruiter salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI
Minneapolis-St. Paul is a higher-paying market for recruiters: the median of $80,330 a year1 is 2.0% above the Minnesota statewide median of $78,760, and 5.8% above the US median of $75,940. Only 31 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. It is the largest market for the job in Minnesota: about 12,660 people.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | $50,690 | $80,330 | $129,850 | |
| Minnesota | $50,330 | $78,760 | $127,060 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
Recruiters at the 90th percentile earn $129,850, 2.6 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of recruiters in Minneapolis-St. Paul earns $63,230–$102,590. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $39,360 wide, between the figure for Minnesota ($39,070) 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 | $50,690 | $4,224 | $24.37 | $65,406 |
| 25th percentile | $63,230 | $5,269 | $30.40 | $81,587 |
| Median | $80,330 | $6,694 | $38.62 | $103,652 |
| 75th percentile | $102,590 | $8,549 | $49.32 | $132,374 |
| 90th percentile | $129,850 | $10,821 | $62.43 | $167,548 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $22,260 a year in pay and about $28,723 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $17,100 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 25th percentile and the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the Minnesota statewide median of $78,760 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Minneapolis-St. Paul
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 $23,322 to the $80,330 median and brings it to $103,652 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between accountants ($86,500) and executive assistants ($80,030). Marketing Specialist is the highest at $97,910.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.8% | 15,450 | |
| Accountant | +7.7% | 21,820 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 12,660 | |
| Executive Assistant | -0.4% | 6,150 | |
| Office Manager | -2.4% | 14,480 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul (+5.8%), between e-commerce order specialists (+7.3%) and executive assistants (+4.5%). The typical role here is at +10.5%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Minneapolis-St. Paul than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 6.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Minneapolis-St. Paul, 5.9% across Minnesota and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $67,040 in Duluth to $83,810 in Rochester, a gap of $16,770 a year. No other area in Minnesota has as many recruiters, and 7 of the other 8 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +4.3% | 500 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 12,660 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -6.8% | 630 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | -7.0% | 480 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -8.0% | 150 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -8.3% | 410 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -9.4% | 630 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Minneapolis-St. Paul is #14 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Minnesota, Trenton-Princeton and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pay just above Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salem and Los Angeles-Long Beach just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +15.5% | 14,120 | jobs | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +2.8% | 12,520 | jobs | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +0.0% | 870 | pay | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +0.0% | 1,400 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 12,660 | ||
| Salem, OR | -0.1% | 1,070 | pay | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | -0.1% | 36,850 | pay | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -5.6% | 11,480 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI?
About $103,652 a year at the median, or $8,638 a month: $80,330 in pay plus about $23,322 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,330 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,690, the 90th $129,850, and the middle half earned $63,230 to $102,590.
Is Minneapolis-St. Paul cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for recruiters?
No, it costs more: a median of $80,330 against $78,760 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Rochester at $83,810, the next down the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $74,850.
How many recruiters work in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
BLS counts about 12,660 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Minnesota has as many.
Does a recruiter cost more than an executive assistant in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Yes: $300 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,330 and $80,030.
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.