Recruiter salary in St. Cloud, MN
St. Cloud is a lower-cost market for recruiters: the median of $74,710 a year1 is 5.1% below the Minnesota statewide median of $78,760, and 1.6% below the US median of $75,940. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#123 of 521). About 480 recruiters work here, 3% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, area St. Cloud, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Cloud against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | $52,010 | $74,710 | $115,230 | |
| Minnesota | $50,330 | $78,760 | $127,060 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in St. Cloud earns $60,930–$95,340. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $115,230, only 2.2 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 $34,410 wide, against $39,070 across Minnesota and $40,770 nationally: employers in St. Cloud 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 | $52,010 | $4,334 | $25.00 | $67,110 |
| 25th percentile | $60,930 | $5,078 | $29.29 | $78,619 |
| Median | $74,710 | $6,226 | $35.92 | $96,400 |
| 75th percentile | $95,340 | $7,945 | $45.84 | $123,019 |
| 90th percentile | $115,230 | $9,602 | $55.40 | $148,684 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,780 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $20,630, or about $26,619 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 median and the 75th percentile in St. Cloud, and the Minnesota statewide median of $78,760 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Cloud
At the $74,710 median, a local hire costs about $96,400 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,690 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 St. Cloud
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($77,720) and marketing specialists ($73,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,390.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +29.0% | 380 | |
| Accountant | +4.0% | 800 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 480 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.3% | 350 | |
| Office Manager | -3.9% | 820 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud (-1.6%), between bookkeepers (-0.2%) and virtual receptionists (-2.1%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 5.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Cloud, 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. Of the 5 areas in Minnesota with more recruiters than St. Cloud, 2 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($72,750) and Duluth, MN-WI ($67,040).
| Area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +12.2% | 500 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +7.5% | 12,660 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 630 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 480 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.1% | 150 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.4% | 410 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -2.6% | 630 |
St. Cloud against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Cloud is #256 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, Carson City and Manchester-Nashua pay just above St. Cloud and Yuba City and Phoenix-Mesa just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in St. Cloud. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +0.1% | 1,070 | pay | |
| Carson City, NV | +0.0% | 210 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 480 | ||
| Yuba City, CA | -0.0% | 180 | pay | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -0.1% | 15,430 | pay | |
| Iowa City, IA | -4.8% | 480 | jobs | |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | -20.8% | 490 | jobs | |
| Tyler, TX | -21.3% | 490 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in St. Cloud, MN?
About $96,400 a year at the median, or $8,033 a month: $74,710 in pay plus about $21,690 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in St. Cloud?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $74,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $52,010, the 90th $115,230, and the middle half earned $60,930 to $95,340.
Is St. Cloud cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $74,710 against $78,760 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $74,850, the next down the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $73,920.
How many recruiters work in St. Cloud?
BLS counts about 480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Minnesota total of 17,240. 5 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is Rochester, with about 500.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in St. Cloud?
Yes: $1,710 a year more at the median. The medians are $74,710 and $73,000.
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.