Recruiter salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays recruiters less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $81,540 a year1: 2.3% below the California statewide median of $83,500 and 7.4% above the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #22 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 920 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $50,090 | $81,540 | $130,920 | |
| California | $52,770 | $83,500 | $151,410 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Santa Rosa-Petaluma earns $64,160–$103,200. The top tenth earns $130,920 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $39,040 wide, against $51,370 across California and $40,770 nationally: employers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma 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 | $50,090 | $4,174 | $24.08 | $64,632 |
| 25th percentile | $64,160 | $5,347 | $30.85 | $82,787 |
| Median | $81,540 | $6,795 | $39.20 | $105,213 |
| 75th percentile | $103,200 | $8,600 | $49.62 | $133,161 |
| 90th percentile | $130,920 | $10,910 | $62.94 | $168,929 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $21,660 a year in pay and about $27,948 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $17,380 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, and the California statewide median of $83,500 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Rosa-Petaluma
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 $23,673 to the $81,540 median and brings it to $105,213 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between executive assistants ($92,240) and marketing specialists ($78,810). Project Coordinator is the highest at $107,340.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +16.1% | 1,740 | |
| Executive Assistant | +13.1% | 490 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 920 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.3% | 960 | |
| Paralegal | -4.1% | 290 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma (+7.4%), between office managers (+9.8%) and project coordinators (+4.9%). The typical role here is at +15.7%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in Santa Rosa-Petaluma than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 5.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 6.2% across California and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $70,830 in Redding to $112,140 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $41,310 a year. Of the 10 areas in California with more recruiters than Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 8 pay less, the largest of them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($80,220), San Diego-Chula Vista, CA ($81,300) and Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($76,570).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | +3.9% | 450 | |
| Napa, CA | +3.5% | 310 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +2.0% | 650 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 920 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -0.3% | 9,110 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -0.7% | 5,360 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -1.2% | 1,710 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Rosa-Petaluma is #135 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Baltimore-Columbia and Charlottesville pay just above Santa Rosa-Petaluma and Kennewick-Richland and Durham-Chapel Hill just below. All four are within $890 a year of the median in Santa Rosa-Petaluma. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +1.1% | 610 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +1.0% | 7,930 | pay | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 920 | ||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -0.3% | 620 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.5% | 2,370 | pay | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -3.7% | 900 | jobs | |
| Asheville, NC | -13.9% | 910 | jobs | |
| Reading, PA | -14.9% | 940 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
About $105,213 a year at the median, or $8,768 a month: $81,540 in pay plus about $23,673 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $81,540 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,090, the 90th $130,920, and the middle half earned $64,160 to $103,200.
Is Santa Rosa-Petaluma cheaper than the rest of California for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $81,540 against $83,500 statewide. The next area up in California is Vallejo at $83,160, the next down San Diego-Chula Vista at $81,300.
How many recruiters work in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
BLS counts about 920 in the May 2025 survey. 10 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Stockton-Lodi, with about 1,160.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Yes: $2,730 a year more at the median. The medians are $81,540 and $78,810.
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.