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

Human Resources Specialist Salary in Salt Lake City, UT

Human Resources Specialists in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area earn a median $74,410 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $58,795 take-home, or $4,900 a month.

Median salary
$74,410
$35.77 per hour
Typical range
$48,960 – $128,220
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Salt Lake City, UT
5,350
1.10× national concentration
▲6.0%
Pay trend: The median for human resources specialists in Salt Lake City, UT rose from $70,190 (May 2024) to $74,410 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 3.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median human resources specialist salary in Salt Lake City, UT. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Human Resources Specialist in Salt Lake City, UT
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$58,795
per year · effective tax rate 21.0%
$4,900Monthly
$2,450Twice a month
$2,261Every 2 weeks
$28.27Hourly
  • Federal income tax$7,540
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,613
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,079
  • Utah income tax$2,382
  • Take-home pay$58,795

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 4.50% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Human Resources Specialist pay by experience in Salt Lake City, UT

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$48,960$23.54$40,282$3,357
25th percentile$59,700$28.70$48,428$4,036
Median (50th)$74,410$35.77$58,795$4,900
75th percentile$96,470$46.38$73,321$6,110
90th percentile (top earners)$128,220$61.64$94,100$7,842

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Utah resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $74,410 buys in Salt Lake City, UT

Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 0.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.23× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median human resources specialist's $58,795 take-home pay has the buying power of $58,289 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,426
29% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,717
35% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,474
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Human Resources Specialist jobs are about as common in Salt Lake City, UT as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).

Best-paying cities for human resources specialists, adjusted for cost of living

Salt Lake City, UT ranks #42 of 62 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1San Jose, CA $112,140$80,063$72,506
2Washington, DC $100,830$74,162$68,111
3Seattle, WA $92,770$74,094$66,671
4Durham, NC $81,100$63,157$64,728
5San Francisco, CA $103,140$74,686$64,600
6Kansas City, MO $75,190$59,130$63,894
7San Antonio, TX $72,930$60,136$63,491
8Columbus, OH $75,440$60,610$63,486
42Salt Lake City, UT$74,410$58,795$58,289

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 62 metros →

About the job: human resources specialists

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)

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a human resources specialist make in Salt Lake City, UT?

The median human resources specialist salary in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area is $74,410 a year, or about $35.77 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $59,700 and $96,470.

What is a human resources specialist’s take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT?

On the median $74,410 salary, a single filer living in Utah takes home about $58,795 a year ($4,900 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,382 in Utah taxes in 2026.

Is Salt Lake City, UT a good place to work as a human resources specialist?

Pay here is 2% below the national median of $75,940. Local prices are 0.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $58,289 would in a typical U.S. city. Salt Lake City, UT ranks #42 of 62 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a human resources specialist afford rent in Salt Lake City, UT?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Salt Lake City, UT is $1,426 a month ($1,717 for two bedrooms) — 29% of a median human resources specialist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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