Human resources specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,180 | $22.69 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $75,940 | $36.51 |
| Mean (average) | $81,990 | $39.42 |
| 90th percentile | $128,720 | $61.89 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Human resources specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,940 | $41,890 | $112,880 | 11,080 | 0.89 |
| Alaska | $76,990 | $49,910 | $114,330 | 1,420 | 0.74 |
| Arizona | $71,390 | $47,290 | $112,900 | 20,230 | 1.06 |
| Arkansas | $55,010 | $32,030 | $99,990 | 6,230 | 0.81 |
| California | $83,500 | $52,770 | $151,410 | 104,000 | 0.97 |
| Colorado | $80,840 | $51,290 | $133,850 | 19,450 | 1.15 |
| Connecticut | $82,890 | $51,000 | $134,810 | 9,010 | 0.91 |
| Delaware | $77,700 | $50,960 | $132,030 | 2,720 | 0.96 |
| District of Columbia | $110,970 | $65,280 | $170,330 | 6,910 | 1.68 |
| Florida | $66,410 | $44,920 | $115,920 | 62,730 | 1.08 |
| Georgia | $70,570 | $44,580 | $125,540 | 32,110 | 1.12 |
| Guam | $59,900 | $38,330 | $86,220 | 380 | 0.96 |
| Hawaii | $73,750 | $49,110 | $113,320 | 2,570 | 0.7 |
| Idaho | $64,990 | $43,820 | $102,490 | 3,930 | 0.78 |
| Illinois | $76,820 | $48,980 | $123,940 | 35,430 | 0.99 |
| Indiana | $65,600 | $44,810 | $106,830 | 17,110 | 0.91 |
| Iowa | $66,710 | $45,400 | $110,640 | 7,930 | 0.87 |
| Kansas | $70,870 | $47,340 | $115,920 | 7,560 | 0.9 |
| Kentucky | $69,010 | $43,690 | $107,940 | 10,900 | 0.93 |
| Louisiana | $61,300 | $39,170 | $100,420 | 7,240 | 0.64 |
| Maine | $71,630 | $45,850 | $105,840 | 3,020 | 0.8 |
| Maryland | $83,910 | $54,410 | $139,400 | 15,530 | 0.96 |
| Massachusetts | $85,630 | $57,500 | $145,130 | 27,300 | 1.28 |
| Michigan | $69,520 | $46,580 | $110,710 | 25,520 | 0.99 |
| Minnesota | $78,760 | $50,330 | $127,060 | 17,240 | 1 |
| Mississippi | $60,300 | $38,500 | $108,950 | 4,850 | 0.71 |
| Missouri | $66,990 | $44,730 | $110,660 | 17,650 | 1.02 |
| Montana | $63,790 | $44,990 | $108,180 | 2,340 | 0.78 |
| Nebraska | $61,930 | $42,730 | $98,480 | 7,220 | 1.2 |
| Nevada | $71,610 | $47,150 | $119,050 | 6,520 | 0.72 |
| New Hampshire | $70,840 | $47,700 | $122,560 | 4,270 | 1.07 |
| New Jersey | $80,690 | $56,420 | $132,770 | 21,690 | 0.86 |
| New Mexico | $68,050 | $46,620 | $117,170 | 4,090 | 0.8 |
| New York | $84,380 | $56,040 | $149,990 | 54,610 | 0.96 |
| North Carolina | $73,070 | $46,760 | $126,000 | 31,140 | 1.07 |
| North Dakota | $75,630 | $50,520 | $116,990 | 1,710 | 0.68 |
| Ohio | $70,180 | $45,950 | $118,340 | 33,500 | 1.03 |
| Oklahoma | $61,630 | $39,990 | $103,460 | 9,370 | 0.94 |
| Oregon | $78,060 | $51,480 | $126,280 | 10,620 | 0.92 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,450 | $46,610 | $119,850 | 36,960 | 1.04 |
| Puerto Rico | $40,900 | $27,860 | $72,110 | 4,270 | 0.78 |
| Rhode Island | $77,560 | $51,270 | $128,250 | 3,320 | 1.13 |
| South Carolina | $65,370 | $46,070 | $118,590 | 13,720 | 1.01 |
| South Dakota | $67,590 | $50,670 | $104,550 | 1,340 | 0.5 |
| Tennessee | $67,370 | $45,630 | $109,990 | 21,460 | 1.12 |
| Texas | $68,920 | $43,410 | $117,060 | 84,930 | 1.03 |
| Utah | $71,750 | $46,800 | $123,780 | 9,900 | 0.97 |
| Vermont | $77,800 | $55,510 | $114,090 | 1,270 | 0.71 |
| Virgin Islands | $60,210 | $47,120 | $86,030 | 120 | 0.66 |
| Virginia | $82,090 | $48,530 | $136,660 | 28,540 | 1.18 |
| Washington | $84,550 | $57,030 | $136,070 | 22,770 | 1.09 |
| West Virginia | $66,860 | $44,490 | $115,920 | 3,130 | 0.76 |
| Wisconsin | $70,540 | $47,860 | $105,270 | 17,360 | 1.01 |
| Wyoming | $66,970 | $44,630 | $115,790 | 1,000 | 0.6 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for human resources specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 73,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for human resources specialists
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology CIP 42.2804
- Business Administration and Management, General CIP 52.0201
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General CIP 52.1001
- Organizational Behavior Studies CIP 52.1003
- Executive/Career Coaching CIP 52.1006
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other CIP 52.1099
Licenses and certifications
Professional in Human Resources
HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
SHRM Certified Professional
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Requirements for regulated professions are set by each state. Always confirm with the state regulator.
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
- Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
- Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
- Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
- Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
- Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities.
- Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Workday software (in demand)
- Applicant tracking software (in demand)
- Oracle HRIS (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Instructing, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination.
Common job titles: Corporate Recruiter, Employment Representative, HR Analyst (Human Resources Analyst), HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator), HR Generalist (Human Resources Generalist), Human Resources Representative (HR Rep), Human Resources Specialist (HR Specialist), Personnel Analyst, Personnel Officer, Recruiter.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do human resources specialists make?
The national median annual wage for human resources specialists was $75,940 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $47,180 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $128,720. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do human resources specialists need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is human resources specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of human resources specialists to change +6.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 73,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay human resources specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($110,970), Massachusetts ($85,630), Washington ($84,550). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.