Recruiter salary in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area
The Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for recruiters: the median of $74,850 a year1 is 5.0% below the Minnesota statewide median of $78,760, and 1.4% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#118 of 521). BLS counts about 630 people in this job here, 4% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | $51,520 | $74,850 | $109,370 | |
| Minnesota | $50,330 | $78,760 | $127,060 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area earns $60,180–$89,870. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $109,370, 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 $29,690 wide, against $39,070 across Minnesota and $40,770 nationally: employers in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area 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 | $51,520 | $4,293 | $24.77 | $66,477 |
| 25th percentile | $60,180 | $5,015 | $28.93 | $77,652 |
| Median | $74,850 | $6,238 | $35.99 | $96,581 |
| 75th percentile | $89,870 | $7,489 | $43.21 | $115,961 |
| 90th percentile | $109,370 | $9,114 | $52.58 | $141,123 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $15,020 a year in pay and about $19,381 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,670 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 median and the 75th percentile in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area, and the Minnesota statewide median of $78,760 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area
At the $74,850 median, a local hire costs about $96,581 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,731 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 the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($78,450) and office managers ($73,490). Project Coordinator is the highest at $92,570.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +23.7% | 430 | |
| Accountant | +4.8% | 990 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 630 | |
| Office Manager | -1.8% | 960 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.1% | 590 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area (-1.4%), between e-commerce order specialists (-0.2%) and bookkeepers (-2.1%). The typical role here is at -1.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 5.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area, 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. The one area in Minnesota with more recruiters, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI ($80,330), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +12.0% | 500 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +7.3% | 12,660 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | this area | 630 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | -0.2% | 480 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 150 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 410 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 630 |
the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area is #194 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 Minnesota, Vineland and Milwaukee-Waukesha pay just above the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area and Cheyenne and Manchester-Nashua just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | +7.0% | 630 | jobs | |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | +1.8% | 630 | jobs | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +0.2% | 5,050 | pay | |
| Vineland, NJ | +0.0% | 200 | pay | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | this area | 630 | ||
| Cheyenne, WY | -0.0% | 250 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | -0.1% | 1,070 | pay | |
| Columbia, MO | -15.4% | 640 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro)?
About $96,581 a year at the median, or $8,048 a month: $74,850 in pay plus about $21,731 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $74,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,520, the 90th $109,370, and the middle half earned $60,180 to $89,870.
Is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $74,850 against $78,760 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Minneapolis-St. Paul at $80,330, the next down St. Cloud at $74,710.
How many recruiters work in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 630 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Minnesota total of 17,240. Only Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area have more in Minnesota.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,360 a year more at the median. The medians are $74,850 and $73,490.
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.