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Recruiter salary in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area

The Northern Michigan nonmetro area is the least expensive place in Michigan to hire a recruiter. The median is $60,280 a year1, 13.3% below the Michigan statewide median of $69,520 and 20.6% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#461 of 521). About 430 recruiters work here, 2% of the Michigan total.

$5,023median pay per month in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area
$6,482employer cost per month with benefits
$28.98median pay per hour
430people in this job in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area

BLS occupation 13-1071, area Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area against Michigan and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)$45,030$60,280$96,160
Michigan$46,580$69,520$110,710
United States$47,180$75,940$128,720
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of recruiters in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area earns $50,270–$76,280. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $96,160, only 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($65,840) is 9% 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 $26,010 wide, against $33,710 across Michigan and $40,770 nationally: employers in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a recruiter here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$45,030$3,752$21.65$58,103
25th percentile$50,270$4,189$24.17$64,865
Median$60,280$5,023$28.98$77,781
75th percentile$76,280$6,357$36.67$98,426
90th percentile$96,160$8,013$46.23$124,077

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $16,000 over the median, the 25th only $10,010 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $20,645 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 the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, and the Michigan statewide median of $69,520 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area

At the $60,280 median, a local hire costs about $77,781 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,501 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.

$77,781local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$63,893difference in year one
82%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($69,740) and office managers ($59,060). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,840.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs recruiterJobs
Project Coordinator
$80,840
+34.1%300
Accountant
$69,740
+15.7%840
Recruiter
$60,280
this role430
Office Manager
$59,060
-2.0%730
Executive Assistant
$58,710
-2.6%160

Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area (-20.6%), between sales development representatives (-17.7%) and project coordinators (-21.0%). The typical role here is at -15.0%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 5.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, 6.3% across Michigan and 5.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

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 9 areas in Michigan with more recruiters than the Northern Michigan nonmetro area also pay more, among them Detroit-Warren, MI ($75,830) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($65,760).

AreaMedianvs the Northern Michigan nonmetro areaJobs
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
$65,760
+9.1%3,490
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
$64,560
+7.1%690
Traverse City, MI
$64,480
+7.0%270
Flint, MI
$64,260
+6.6%600
Mid Michigan (Nonmetro)
$64,250
+6.6%570
Bay City, MI
$63,200
+4.8%120
Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)
$60,280
this area430

the Northern Michigan nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Northern Michigan nonmetro area is #291 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 Michigan, Lubbock and Abilene pay just above the Northern Michigan nonmetro area and Corpus Christi and Lawton just below. All four are within $400 a year of the median in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Northern Michigan nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Bellingham, WA
$78,160
+29.7%430jobs
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
$77,380
+28.4%430jobs
Greenville, NC
$66,190
+9.8%430jobs
Abilene, TX
$60,400
+0.2%320pay
Lubbock, TX
$60,380
+0.2%610pay
Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)
$60,280
this area430
Corpus Christi, TX
$60,030
-0.4%720pay
Lawton, OK
$59,880
-0.7%220pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)?

About $77,781 a year at the median, or $6,482 a month: $60,280 in pay plus about $17,501 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do recruiters earn in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $60,280 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,030, the 90th $96,160, and the middle half earned $50,270 to $76,280.

Is the Northern Michigan nonmetro area the cheapest area in Michigan for recruiters?

Yes. Its median of $60,280 is the lowest of 19 areas in Michigan. Bay City is next at $63,200.

How many recruiters work in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 430 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Michigan total of 25,520. 9 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, with about 450.

Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area?

Yes: $1,220 a year more at the median. The medians are $60,280 and $59,060.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.