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Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Human Resources Specialist Salary

Human Resources Specialists earn a median $75,940 a year nationally. Business and Financial Operations Occupations

U.S. median
$75,940
$36.51 per hour
Range
$47,180 – $128,720
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
912,430
across the U.S.
▲4.2%
Pay trend: The median for human resources specialists in the U.S. rose from $72,910 (May 2024) to $75,940 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 1.8%.

What human resources specialists do

Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+6.4% (faster than average)
Openings per year
73,700
Self-employed
1%

Employment of human resources specialists is projected to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 73,700 openings are expected each year, on average, including jobs left by workers who retire or switch careers.

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Human Resources Specialist take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Human Resources Specialist
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$62,254
per year · effective tax rate 18.0%
$5,188Monthly
$2,594Twice a month
$2,394Every 2 weeks
$29.93Hourly
  • Federal income tax$7,877
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,708
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,101
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$62,254

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)$47,180$22.68$40,089
25th percentile$58,610$28.18$49,273
Median (50th)$75,940$36.51$62,254
75th percentile$99,380$47.78$78,744
90th percentile (top earners)$128,720$61.88$99,246

Best cities for human resources specialists (after tax & cost of living)

#Metro areaMedianTake-homeReal value*Jobs
1San Jose, CA$112,140$80,063$72,5067,970
2Washington, DC$100,830$74,162$68,11124,450
3Seattle, WA$92,770$74,094$66,67114,120
4Durham, NC$81,100$63,157$64,7282,370
5San Francisco, CA$103,140$74,686$64,60016,420
6Kansas City, MO$75,190$59,130$63,8946,950
7San Antonio, TX$72,930$60,136$63,4917,570
8Columbus, OH$75,440$60,610$63,4867,740
9Austin, TX$75,860$62,198$63,4248,940
10Charlotte, NC$78,330$61,319$62,9898,930
11Boston, MA$90,270$68,041$62,84721,770
12Hartford, CT$82,920$64,179$62,4633,460
13Memphis, TN$69,150$57,477$62,3543,650
14Des Moines, IA$71,600$57,132$62,3022,450
15Richmond, VA$79,340$60,898$62,2314,540
16Cincinnati, OH$73,010$58,967$61,8307,110
17Madison, WI$76,660$60,078$61,7532,810
18Bridgeport, CT$85,550$65,884$61,6522,350
19Cleveland, OH$70,900$57,541$61,2646,330
20Louisville, KY$71,880$56,999$61,2413,680
21Rochester, NY$76,590$59,172$60,9802,460
22Milwaukee, WI$74,970$58,979$60,8425,050
23Knoxville, TN$67,370$56,225$60,7382,980
24Houston, TX$72,550$59,869$60,70118,320
25Baltimore, MD$82,380$63,235$60,5197,930

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Human Resources Specialist salary by state

StateMedian1-yr changeTake-homeRangeJobs
District of Columbia $110,970+8.3%$80,433 $65,280 – $170,3306,910
Massachusetts $85,630+4.5%$65,009 $57,500 – $145,13027,300
Washington $84,550+1.6%$68,311 $57,030 – $136,07022,770
New York $84,380+4.0%$64,232 $56,040 – $149,99054,610
Maryland $83,910+3.4%$64,239 $54,410 – $139,40015,530
California $83,500+2.1%$62,951 $52,770 – $151,410104,000
Connecticut $82,890+6.6%$64,159 $51,000 – $134,8109,010
Virginia $82,090+4.5%$62,674 $48,530 – $136,66028,540
Colorado $80,840+3.4%$62,852 $51,290 – $133,85019,450
New Jersey $80,690+3.2%$62,645 $56,420 – $132,77021,690
Minnesota $78,760+2.0%$60,405 $50,330 – $127,06017,240
Oregon $78,060+5.4%$57,745 $51,480 – $126,28010,620
Vermont $77,800+2.1%$60,888 $55,510 – $114,0901,270
Delaware $77,700+6.9%$59,705 $50,960 – $132,0302,720
Rhode Island $77,560+10.7%$61,102 $51,270 – $128,2503,320
Alaska $76,990—$62,992 $49,910 – $114,3301,420
Illinois $76,820+6.2%$59,215 $48,980 – $123,94035,430
North Dakota $75,630+8.4%$61,820 $50,520 – $116,9901,710
Hawaii $73,750+10.1%$56,638 $49,110 – $113,3202,570
North Carolina $73,070+5.3%$57,828 $46,760 – $126,00031,140
Utah $71,750+6.1%$57,043 $46,800 – $123,7809,900
Maine $71,630+11.2%$55,568 $45,850 – $105,8403,020
Nevada $71,610+11.7%$59,208 $47,150 – $119,0506,520
Arizona $71,390+9.1%$57,477 $47,290 – $112,90020,230
Kansas $70,870−7.3%$55,532 $47,340 – $115,9207,560
New Hampshire $70,840+8.0%$58,666 $47,700 – $122,5604,270
Georgia $70,570+8.4%$55,436 $44,580 – $125,54032,110
Wisconsin $70,540+6.3%$56,097 $47,860 – $105,27017,360
Pennsylvania $70,450+6.7%$56,229 $46,610 – $119,85036,960
Ohio $70,180+8.6%$57,054 $45,950 – $118,34033,500
Michigan $69,520+4.7%$55,033 $46,580 – $110,71025,520
Kentucky $69,010+6.3%$55,081 $43,690 – $107,94010,900
Texas $68,920+6.8%$57,315 $43,410 – $117,06084,930
New Mexico $68,050+4.4%$54,671 $46,620 – $117,1704,090
South Dakota $67,590+9.2%$56,380 $50,670 – $104,5501,340
Tennessee $67,370+3.3%$56,225 $45,630 – $109,99021,460
Missouri $66,990+6.8%$53,746 $44,730 – $110,66017,650
Wyoming $66,970+6.8%$55,943 $44,630 – $115,7901,000
West Virginia $66,860+7.3%$53,578 $44,490 – $115,9203,130
Iowa $66,710+2.8%$53,877 $45,400 – $110,6407,930
Florida $66,410+3.8%$55,540 $44,920 – $115,92062,730
Indiana $65,600+5.4%$52,984 $44,810 – $106,83017,110
South Carolina $65,370+1.0%$51,940 $46,070 – $118,59013,720
Idaho $64,990+2.1%$52,063 $43,820 – $102,4903,930
Alabama $64,940+3.5%$51,377 $41,890 – $112,88011,080
Montana $63,790+3.1%$51,192 $44,990 – $108,1802,340
Nebraska $61,930+4.4%$50,002 $42,730 – $98,4807,220
Oklahoma $61,630+6.1%$49,472 $39,990 – $103,4609,370
Louisiana $61,300+0.5%$49,982 $39,170 – $100,4207,240
Mississippi $60,300+7.6%$48,951 $38,500 – $108,9504,850
Arkansas $55,010+4.0%$44,448 $32,030 – $99,9906,230

Related jobs

JobMedian salaryEducationGrowth 2025–35
Farm Labor Contractor$58,460No formal educational credential+7.4%
Labor Relations Specialist$95,420Bachelor's degree+2.1%
Buyer and Purchasing Agent$77,710Bachelor's degree+6.0%
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators$78,000High school diploma or equivalent-5.5%
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210Bachelor's degree+6.0%
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage$78,240Postsecondary nondegree award-8.7%
Cost Estimator$78,740Bachelor's degree-3.1%
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$78,760Bachelor's degree+7.0%
Fundraiser$72,550Bachelor's degree+5.5%
Compliance Officer$80,730Bachelor's degree+3.8%

Frequently asked questions

How much does a human resources specialist make?

The national median salary for human resources specialists is $75,940 a year ($36.51 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $47,180 and the top 10% earn over $128,720. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays human resources specialists the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay at $110,970. After taxes and local prices, San Jose, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many human resources specialists are there in the U.S.?

About 912,430 people work as human resources specialists nationwide.

All 62 cities