Human Resources Specialists salary
Business & finance · OCC code 13-1071 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Human Resources Specialists in the US earn a median of $72,910 per year (mean $79,730) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +47.3% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, above the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $55,870 and $97,270; the top 10% earn $126,540 or more. The median hourly wage is $35.05. About 917,460 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is District of Columbia ($102,500). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Human Resources Specialists pay range (national percentiles)
What human resources specialists earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $45,440 |
| 25th percentile | $55,870 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $72,910 |
| Mean (average) | $79,730 |
| 75th percentile | $97,270 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $126,540 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Human Resources Specialists salary by state
Median and mean wage for human resources specialists in each of the 50 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $72,910.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $102,500 | $110,050 | 7,130 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,230 | $93,800 | 25,110 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $81,960 | $92,230 | 25,490 |
| 4 | California | $81,810 | $94,720 | 104,880 |
| 5 | Maryland | $81,140 | $90,080 | 16,960 |
| 6 | New York | $81,140 | $91,490 | 53,030 |
| 7 | Virginia | $78,580 | $86,260 | 29,530 |
| 8 | Colorado | $78,170 | $89,280 | 21,020 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $78,170 | $86,070 | 23,180 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $77,750 | $83,200 | 8,660 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $77,250 | $82,260 | 16,850 |
| 12 | Kansas | $76,490 | $77,880 | 8,830 |
| 13 | Vermont | $76,190 | $80,830 | 1,290 |
| 14 | Oregon | $74,030 | $79,310 | 11,200 |
| 15 | Delaware | $72,670 | $79,540 | 3,110 |
| 16 | Illinois | $72,350 | $76,880 | 32,600 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $70,060 | $76,760 | 3,160 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $69,740 | $75,080 | 1,870 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $69,400 | $77,920 | 31,510 |
| 20 | Utah | $67,620 | $75,190 | 10,450 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $66,970 | $72,430 | 2,710 |
| 22 | Michigan | $66,400 | $73,560 | 26,870 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $66,370 | $72,060 | 17,630 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $66,020 | $74,640 | 36,710 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $65,610 | $76,280 | 3,990 |
| 26 | Arizona | $65,410 | $72,850 | 19,840 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $65,200 | $73,120 | 20,490 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $65,180 | $71,260 | 4,330 |
| 29 | Georgia | $65,130 | $73,920 | 32,980 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $64,950 | $69,920 | 10,680 |
| 31 | Iowa | $64,920 | $71,660 | 7,780 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $64,720 | $72,850 | 12,440 |
| 33 | Ohio | $64,600 | $72,860 | 34,590 |
| 34 | Texas | $64,560 | $73,890 | 85,580 |
| 35 | Maine | $64,420 | $69,970 | 3,080 |
| 36 | Nevada | $64,120 | $75,380 | 6,400 |
| 37 | Florida | $63,960 | $73,310 | 62,880 |
| 38 | Idaho | $63,630 | $67,510 | 3,490 |
| 39 | Alabama | $62,770 | $69,880 | 11,200 |
| 40 | Missouri | $62,710 | $70,430 | 18,240 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $62,690 | $69,680 | 950 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $62,300 | $71,210 | 2,950 |
| 43 | Indiana | $62,230 | $68,680 | 17,320 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $61,920 | $69,140 | 1,490 |
| 45 | Montana | $61,860 | $67,120 | 2,200 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $61,020 | $65,310 | 6,610 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $59,330 | $63,770 | 8,140 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $58,070 | $64,530 | 9,460 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $56,050 | $63,130 | 4,560 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,890 | $61,630 | 5,660 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: District of Columbia ($102,500). Lowest: Arkansas ($52,890).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Specialists (this job) | $72,910 | $79,730 | +47.3% |
| Real Estate Brokers | $72,280 | $91,660 | +46.0% |
| Writers and Authors | $72,270 | $85,780 | +46.0% |
| Loan Officers | $74,180 | $86,020 | +49.9% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $74,260 | $77,060 | +50.0% |
| Film and Video Editors | $70,980 | $83,530 | +43.4% |
Real Estate Brokers · Writers and Authors · Loan Officers · Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants · Film and Video Editors
Frequently asked questions
How much do human resources specialists make?
Human Resources Specialists earn a national median of $72,910 per year (mean $79,730) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $55,870 (25th percentile) and $97,270 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $126,540 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $45,440. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for human resources specialists?
The median hourly wage is $35.05 and the mean is $38.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays human resources specialists the most?
District of Columbia has the highest median wage for human resources specialists at $102,500, versus a national median of $72,910. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many human resources specialists are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 917,460 human resources specialists are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #62 of 124 by median pay.
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Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 13-1071), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20