Recruiter salary in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area
Of the 12 areas in Missouri with BLS pay data for this job, the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area has the lowest median: $56,140 a year1. That is 16.2% below the Missouri statewide median of $66,990, and 26.1% below the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #500 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. The market is small, about 280 people, 2% of the Missouri total, so expect few local candidates at a time.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | $39,990 | $56,140 | $91,000 | |
| Missouri | $44,730 | $66,990 | $110,660 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area earns $47,970–$74,360. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $91,000, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($63,220) is 13% 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 $26,390 wide, against $38,150 across Missouri and $40,770 nationally: employers in the Southwest Missouri 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 | $39,990 | $3,332 | $19.23 | $51,600 |
| 25th percentile | $47,970 | $3,998 | $23.06 | $61,897 |
| Median | $56,140 | $4,678 | $26.99 | $72,439 |
| 75th percentile | $74,360 | $6,197 | $35.75 | $95,948 |
| 90th percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $43.75 | $117,419 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $18,220 over the median, the 25th only $8,170 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $23,510 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, and the Missouri statewide median of $66,990 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local recruiters earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area
At the $56,140 median, a local hire costs about $72,439 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,299 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 Southwest Missouri nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($62,490) and executive assistants ($49,480). Project Coordinator is the highest at $74,970.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +33.5% | 220 | |
| Accountant | +11.3% | 390 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 280 | |
| Executive Assistant | -11.9% | 130 | |
| Office Manager | -13.3% | 570 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #10 of the 16 roles we track in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area (-26.1%), between accountants (-25.3%) and project coordinators (-26.7%). The typical role here is at -24.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 5.3% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, 6.4% across Missouri and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $56,140 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $75,190 in Kansas City, a gap of $19,050 a year. All 9 areas in Missouri with more recruiters than the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area also pay more, among them St. Louis, MO-IL ($71,670) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($75,190).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | +12.5% | 1,270 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | +11.2% | 530 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | +10.7% | 310 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +9.1% | 390 | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +8.1% | 230 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | +6.9% | 590 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 280 |
the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area is #380 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 Missouri, Las Cruces and Tallahassee pay just above the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area and Casper and Lafayette just below. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | +23.8% | 280 | jobs | |
| Grand Junction, CO | +18.7% | 280 | jobs | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | +13.0% | 280 | jobs | |
| Tallahassee, FL | +2.1% | 1,470 | pay | |
| Las Cruces, NM | +1.8% | 290 | pay | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | this area | 280 | ||
| Casper, WY | -0.1% | 150 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | -0.1% | 540 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro)?
About $72,439 a year at the median, or $6,037 a month: $56,140 in pay plus about $16,299 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do recruiters earn in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $56,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,990, the 90th $91,000, and the middle half earned $47,970 to $74,360.
Is the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area the cheapest area in Missouri for recruiters?
Yes. Its median of $56,140 is the lowest of 12 areas in Missouri. The Southeast Missouri nonmetro area is next at $60,040.
How many recruiters work in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 280 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Missouri total of 17,650. 9 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is the North Missouri nonmetro area, with about 310.
Does a recruiter cost more than an executive assistant in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area?
Yes: $6,660 a year more at the median. The medians are $56,140 and $49,480.
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 2026-11-13.