Recruiter salary in Salem, OR
Salem is the most expensive place in Oregon to hire a recruiter. The median is $80,270 a year1, 2.8% above the Oregon statewide median of $78,060 and 5.7% above the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #33 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,070 recruiters work here, 10% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Salem, OR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salem against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $53,380 | $80,270 | $112,850 | |
| Oregon | $51,480 | $78,060 | $126,280 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Salem earns $64,050–$97,500. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $112,850, only 2.1 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 $33,450 wide, against $37,040 across Oregon and $40,770 nationally: employers in Salem 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 | $53,380 | $4,448 | $25.66 | $68,877 |
| 25th percentile | $64,050 | $5,338 | $30.79 | $82,645 |
| Median | $80,270 | $6,689 | $38.59 | $103,574 |
| 75th percentile | $97,500 | $8,125 | $46.88 | $125,806 |
| 90th percentile | $112,850 | $9,404 | $54.25 | $145,613 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $16,220 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $17,230, or about $22,232 once benefits are added. 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 Salem, and the Oregon statewide median of $78,060 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Salem
At the $80,270 median, a local hire costs about $103,574 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $23,304 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.
Other roles in Salem
Of the 17 roles we track in Salem, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($87,480) and office managers ($75,990). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,730.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +28.0% | 1,420 | |
| Accountant | +9.0% | 1,510 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 1,070 | |
| Office Manager | -5.3% | 1,190 | |
| Executive Assistant | -12.4% | 800 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Salem (+5.7%), between payroll specialists (+5.7%) and accountants (+4.5%). The typical role here is at +5.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 5.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salem, 5.6% across Oregon and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $65,520 in Grants Pass to $80,270 in Salem, a gap of $14,750 a year. The one area in Oregon with more recruiters, Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($80,100), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,070 | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | -0.2% | 7,610 | |
| Bend, OR | -5.1% | 530 | |
| Albany, OR | -8.0% | 210 | |
| Coast Oregon (Nonmetro) | -10.6% | 400 | |
| Corvallis, OR | -12.3% | 210 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -13.6% | 730 |
Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salem is #117 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 Oregon, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Trenton-Princeton pay just above Salem and Los Angeles-Long Beach and Salinas just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in Salem. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +0.1% | 1,400 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +0.1% | 12,660 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,070 | ||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | -0.1% | 36,850 | pay | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.2% | 630 | pay | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -1.8% | 1,060 | jobs | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -6.9% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | -17.5% | 1,060 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Salem, OR?
About $103,574 a year at the median, or $8,631 a month: $80,270 in pay plus about $23,304 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Salem?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,270 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,380, the 90th $112,850, and the middle half earned $64,050 to $97,500.
Is Salem the most expensive area in Oregon for recruiters?
Yes. Its median of $80,270 is the highest of 11 areas in Oregon. Portland-Vancouver comes next at $80,100.
How many recruiters work in Salem?
BLS counts about 1,070 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Oregon total of 10,620. Only Portland-Vancouver has more in Oregon.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Salem?
Yes: $4,280 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,270 and $75,990.
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.