SOC 11-3121 · May 2025
Human Resources Manager Salary
Human Resources Managers in the US earn a median of $149,280 a year ($78.96 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average Human Resources Manager pay climbed from $129,570 in 2019 to $164,230 in 2025, a +26.8% change in 6 years.
Median annual
$149,280
Half of all Human Resources Managers in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+26.8% since 2019 · +2.3% YoY
Hourly
$78.96
Job growth 2025-35
+5.5%
US workers
220,660
BLS series
Annual median wage for Human Resources Managers in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Human Resources Managers is $88,200 – $267,810.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$88,200
25th
$111,110
Median
$149,280
75th
$199,290
90th
$267,810
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for Human Resources Managers. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $88,200 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $111,110 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $149,280 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $199,290 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $267,810 |
Geography
Human Resources Manager pay by state
Human Resources Managers earn the most in D.C. ($184,350, +23% against the national median) and the least in Mississippi ($106,100). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 51 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$149,280
Highest-paying states for human resources managers
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. | $184,350 | +23% | 2,250 |
| Massachusetts | $181,780 | +22% | 7,540 |
| New York | $176,650 | +18% | 17,920 |
| New Jersey | $172,440 | +16% | 6,400 |
| California | $170,080 | +14% | 27,450 |
| Rhode Island | $167,110 | +12% | 530 |
| Colorado | $166,400 | +11% | 3,620 |
| Virginia | $165,980 | +11% | 5,770 |
| Connecticut | $165,930 | +11% | 3,020 |
| Washington | $165,530 | +11% | 4,560 |
All 51 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| D.C. | $184,350 | 2,250 |
| Massachusetts | $181,780 | 7,540 |
| New York | $176,650 | 17,920 |
| New Jersey | $172,440 | 6,400 |
| California | $170,080 | 27,450 |
| Rhode Island | $167,110 | 530 |
| Colorado | $166,400 | 3,620 |
| Virginia | $165,980 | 5,770 |
| Connecticut | $165,930 | 3,020 |
| Washington | $165,530 | 4,560 |
| Delaware | $153,890 | 580 |
| Minnesota | $153,770 | 4,370 |
| Maryland | $152,770 | 3,820 |
| Illinois | $151,370 | 13,520 |
| Georgia | $150,700 | 7,270 |
| North Carolina | $142,990 | 6,480 |
| Oregon | $140,570 | 2,810 |
| Arizona | $139,820 | 3,950 |
| North Dakota | $139,050 | 290 |
| Michigan | $138,930 | 5,890 |
| Florida | $137,790 | 11,570 |
| Texas | $136,500 | 23,220 |
| New Hampshire | $135,000 | 1,150 |
| Kansas | $134,470 | 1,290 |
| Wisconsin | $133,490 | 3,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,060 | 8,230 |
| Vermont | $132,050 | 360 |
| Tennessee | $131,760 | 4,310 |
| Utah | $131,380 | 2,240 |
| Missouri | $130,680 | 3,510 |
| Ohio | $130,480 | 8,040 |
| Indiana | $130,340 | 3,030 |
| Maine | $129,720 | 700 |
| Alaska | $129,570 | 610 |
| Nebraska | $129,460 | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $128,910 | 710 |
| Nevada | $128,550 | 1,520 |
| Wyoming | $127,520 | 140 |
| Iowa | $126,370 | 1,620 |
| South Carolina | $124,290 | 2,400 |
| Kentucky | $121,460 | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $120,020 | 510 |
| Idaho | $119,990 | 1,040 |
| New Mexico | $118,070 | 820 |
| South Dakota | $117,930 | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $116,080 | 1,750 |
| Montana | $115,280 | 530 |
| Alabama | $113,210 | 2,160 |
| Arkansas | $108,580 | 1,290 |
| Louisiana | $107,880 | 1,390 |
| Mississippi | $106,100 | 720 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for Human Resources Managers
Human resources managers (BLS SOC 11-3121) plan, direct, and coordinate the administrative functions of an organization including hiring, employee relations, benefits, compensation, and compliance. The role typically requires a bachelor's degree and increasingly an HR-specific master's or SHRM-SCP/SPHR certification. Pay varies sharply by company size and industry: tech, financial services, and pharmaceutical HR leadership typically exceeds the OEWS median; nonprofit and education HR pays below.
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $88,200 – $267,810. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are D.C., Massachusetts and New York. Pay in D.C. runs 1.7 times the level in Mississippi, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as bachelor's degree, and projects about 16,800 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to grow 5.5% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average Human Resources Manager salary in the US?
How much does a Human Resources Manager make an hour?
How much do Human Resources Managers make at the low and high end?
Which state pays Human Resources Managers the most?
Is the average Human Resources Manager salary higher than the median?
Is Human Resources Manager a growing career?
Open positions
Open Human Resources Manager roles hiring now
Browse current Human Resources Manager listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 11-3121. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.