How much does a Human Resources Specialist make?
Human Resources Specialists in the United States bring home a median salary of $75,940 a year, or around $36.51 an hour. Pay spans a wide range: the bottom 10% earn under $47,180, while the top 10% earn $128,720.
That is $14,550 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Human Resources Specialist salary range by percentile
Half of all Human Resources Specialists earn between $58,610 and $99,380 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $47,180 | $22.68 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $58,610 | $28.18 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $75,940 | $36.51 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $99,380 | $47.78 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $128,720 | $61.88 |
Highest-paying states for Human Resources Specialist
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. District of Columbia leads the country for Human Resources Specialist pay at $110,970 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($85,630) and Washington ($84,550). At the other end, Arkansas posts the lowest median at $55,010 — a gap of $55,960 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $110,970 | $53.35 | +46% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $85,630 | $41.17 | +13% |
| 3 | Washington | $84,550 | $40.65 | +11% |
| 4 | New York | $84,380 | $40.57 | +11% |
| 5 | Maryland | $83,910 | $40.34 | +10% |
Human Resources Specialist salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 51 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 912,000 people work as Human Resources Specialists in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $81,990 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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