StafkaFind workPost a jobSign inGet 3 candidates

Recruiter salary in the West Kentucky nonmetro area

Hiring a recruiter costs less in the West Kentucky nonmetro area than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $59,220 a year1: 14.2% below the Kentucky statewide median of $69,010 and 22.0% below the US median of $75,940. Nationally that is #474 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 490 people in this job here, 4% of the Kentucky total.

$4,935median pay per month in the West Kentucky nonmetro area
$6,368employer cost per month with benefits
$28.47median pay per hour
490people in this job in the West Kentucky nonmetro area

BLS occupation 13-1071, area West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the West Kentucky nonmetro area against Kentucky and the US

Range10thMedian90th
West Kentucky (Nonmetro)$39,010$59,220$94,120
Kentucky$43,690$69,010$107,940
United States$47,180$75,940$128,720
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of recruiters in the West Kentucky nonmetro area earns $47,990–$77,870. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $94,120, only 2.4 times the bottom tenth, against 2.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($64,340) is 9% 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 $29,880 wide, against $32,310 across Kentucky and $40,770 nationally: employers in the West Kentucky nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a recruiter here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$39,010$3,251$18.75$50,335
25th percentile$47,990$3,999$23.07$61,923
Median$59,220$4,935$28.47$76,413
75th percentile$77,870$6,489$37.44$100,477
90th percentile$94,120$7,843$45.25$121,445

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $18,650 over the median, the 25th only $11,230 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $24,065 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 median and the 75th percentile in the West Kentucky nonmetro area, and the Kentucky statewide median of $69,010 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the West Kentucky nonmetro area

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 $17,193 to the $59,220 median and brings it to $76,413 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.

$76,413local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$62,525difference in year one
82%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the West Kentucky nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the West Kentucky nonmetro area, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between office managers ($61,130) and executive assistants ($57,150). Project Coordinator is the highest at $75,050.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in West Kentucky (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs recruiterJobs
Accountant
$68,080
+15.0%600
Office Manager
$61,130
+3.2%1,090
Recruiter
$59,220
this role490
Executive Assistant
$57,150
-3.5%130
Marketing Specialist
$52,160
-11.9%240

Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in the West Kentucky nonmetro area (-22.0%), between medical administrative assistants (-20.8%) and executive assistants (-25.4%). The typical role here is at -18.3%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in the West Kentucky nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 4.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the West Kentucky nonmetro area, 5.5% across Kentucky and 5.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Kentucky

Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $54,180 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $78,850 in Elizabethtown, a gap of $24,670 a year. Of the 5 areas in Kentucky with more recruiters than the West Kentucky nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($57,720).

AreaMedianvs the West Kentucky nonmetro areaJobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$64,500
+8.9%210
Central Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$63,900
+7.9%880
Owensboro, KY
$62,440
+5.4%170
Bowling Green, KY
$61,860
+4.5%360
West Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$59,220
this area490
South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$57,720
-2.5%700
East Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$54,180
-8.5%310

the West Kentucky nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the West Kentucky nonmetro area is #254 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 Kentucky, Sebring and Victoria pay just above the West Kentucky nonmetro area and Macon-Bibb County and Johnstown just below. All four are within $360 a year of the median in the West Kentucky nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the West Kentucky nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Janesville-Beloit, WI
$63,270
+6.8%500jobs
Amarillo, TX
$62,180
+5.0%500jobs
Victoria, TX
$59,580
+0.6%140pay
Sebring, FL
$59,440
+0.4%100pay
West Kentucky (Nonmetro)
$59,220
this area490
Macon-Bibb County, GA
$59,190
-0.1%490pay
Johnstown, PA
$59,120
-0.2%190pay
Tyler, TX
$58,770
-0.8%490jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in West Kentucky (Nonmetro)?

About $76,413 a year at the median, or $6,368 a month: $59,220 in pay plus about $17,193 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do recruiters earn in the West Kentucky nonmetro area?

Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,220 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,010, the 90th $94,120, and the middle half earned $47,990 to $77,870.

Is the West Kentucky nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for recruiters?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $59,220 against $69,010 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Bowling Green at $61,860, the next down the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $57,720.

How many recruiters work in the West Kentucky nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 490 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Kentucky total of 10,900. 5 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 700.

Does a recruiter cost more than an executive assistant in the West Kentucky nonmetro area?

Yes: $2,070 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,220 and $57,150.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.