Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$47,180
- 25th Percentile — Junior$58,610
- 50th Percentile — Median$75,940
- 75th Percentile — Senior$99,380
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$128,720
The top 10% of Human Resources Specialists earn $128,720 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $47,180, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Human Resources Specialists Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers, and they handle related tasks such as employee relations, compensation and benefits, training, and compliance with employment laws.
How to become one
A bachelor's degree in human resources, business, or a related field is typical. Certifications from SHRM or HRCI can help with advancement.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $116,020 | +41.5% |
| Massachusetts | $95,400 | +16.4% |
| California | $95,180 | +16.1% |
| New York | $95,040 | +15.9% |
| Washington | $94,000 | +14.6% |
| Maryland | $92,180 | +12.4% |
| Connecticut | $90,080 | +9.9% |
| Virginia | $89,620 | +9.3% |
| New Jersey | $89,170 | +8.8% |
| Colorado | $88,440 | +7.9% |
| Delaware | $85,230 | +4.0% |
| Oregon | $84,550 | +3.1% |
| Minnesota | $83,970 | +2.4% |
| Rhode Island | $82,250 | +0.3% |
| Illinois | $81,480 | -0.6% |
| Vermont | $80,760 | -1.5% |
| Alaska | $80,410 | -1.9% |
| North Carolina | $79,450 | -3.1% |
| Nevada | $79,260 | -3.3% |
| North Dakota | $79,210 | -3.4% |
| New Hampshire | $78,500 | -4.3% |
| Utah | $77,610 | -5.3% |
| Georgia | $77,570 | -5.4% |
| Hawaii | $77,320 | -5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | $77,290 | -5.7% |
| Kansas | $76,590 | -6.6% |
| Arizona | $76,500 | -6.7% |
| Ohio | $76,230 | -7.0% |
| Michigan | $75,250 | -8.2% |
| Maine | $75,140 | -8.4% |
| New Mexico | $75,140 | -8.4% |
| Wyoming | $74,990 | -8.5% |
| Texas | $74,920 | -8.6% |
| South Carolina | $74,710 | -8.9% |
| Missouri | $74,670 | -8.9% |
| Florida | $74,610 | -9.0% |
| South Dakota | $74,450 | -9.2% |
| Wisconsin | $74,310 | -9.4% |
| West Virginia | $74,040 | -9.7% |
| Iowa | $73,850 | -9.9% |
| Tennessee | $73,590 | -10.2% |
| Kentucky | $72,970 | -11.0% |
| Alabama | $72,590 | -11.5% |
| Indiana | $72,550 | -11.5% |
| Montana | $71,430 | -12.9% |
| Idaho | $70,070 | -14.5% |
| Mississippi | $68,360 | -16.6% |
| Oklahoma | $67,900 | -17.2% |
| Nebraska | $67,010 | -18.3% |
| Louisiana | $66,370 | -19.1% |
| Arkansas | $62,410 | -23.9% |
What Factors Affect Human Resources Specialists Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Human Resources Specialists is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $116,020, while Arkansas pays $62,410 — a gap of $53,610 per year.
Specialists in professional and technical services, finance, and large corporations tend to earn more. Expertise in areas such as compensation, benefits, or HR information systems commands higher pay, and many move into HR management.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Human Resources Specialists?
The average salary for Human Resources Specialists in the United States is $81,990 per year, with a median of $75,940.
What is the starting salary for Human Resources Specialists?
Entry-level Human Resources Specialists typically earn between $47,180 and $58,610 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Human Resources Specialists the most?
District of Columbia pays Human Resources Specialists the most at $116,020 per year on average, followed by Massachusetts ($95,400) and California ($95,180).
How much do Human Resources Specialists make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $81,990, Human Resources Specialists earn approximately $39.42 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Human Resources Specialists a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 912,430 Human Resources Specialists jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $81,990 and a median of $75,940 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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