Human Resources Salary: Your 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

Human resources (HR) salaries in the US range from about $36,000 for entry-level roles to more than $500,000 for executive leadership positions.

• A human resources manager earns an average salary of $91,239 [1].

• Modern HR careers often involve lateral moves across specialized areas, which can open paths to higher-paying strategic roles.

• You can increase your salary potential by earning a degree or certification related to the field.

Explore what you can potentially earn in a human resources role and the factors that influence your income. If you're ready to start preparing for a career in HR, enroll in the HRCI Human Resources Association Professional Certificate. You'll examine key HR concepts, including talent recruiting and retention, employee performance management, and compensation and benefits. In as little as 5 months, you can earn a certificate.

What is human resources?

Human resources (HR) is a department within a business or organization that recruits, screens, and trains job applicants. This department also manages other tasks, such as securing and managing employee benefits. 

However, HR goes beyond recruiting and benefits, as the department often handles people management. It can include setting up and adjusting compensation, offering career development, and handling employee complaints and discipline. 

Why is HR important?

HR is essential to any organization for several reasons. Some critical functions include: 

• Employee safety: An HR department helps ensure a safe workplace for employees. It includes securing the proper protective gear in a factory or resolving employee disputes before tensions escalate.

• Employee happiness: HR departments work to ensure the organization’s workers are in good spirits and satisfied with their jobs. The department might improve employee satisfaction by finding helpful benefits, listening to employee feedback, changing policies according to that feedback, and ensuring fair compensation.

• Company risk: HR departments ensure companies and their leaders comply with employer laws to prevent lawsuits. They also vet new hires, ensure proper management training, implement diversity training, and more.

Salaries of human resources professionals

When starting a career in HR, you have several positions available with varying salaries and requirements. For example, you could start your career as a human resources assistant or a human resources specialist, which respectively have an average salary of $48,239 and $77,520, according to ZipRecruiter [2, 3]. As you progress, you can work your way up to a human resources manager with an average annual salary of $91,239 [1].

Learn more: 8 HR Entry-level Jobs to Explore: Salaries, Tasks, and Requirements

Factors that impact human resources salary

Human resources earnings can differ based on a range of variables. These include your unique role in the field, educational background, and geographic location.

Role

In the past, working in an HR department often meant starting as an HR assistant, moving into an HR specialist role, and eventually becoming an HR manager or moving even higher up the career ladder. 

Today, many human resources departments have unique roles with varying names, responsibilities, and career paths. Rather than working your way up to the top, you may zigzag a bit, making both horizontal and vertical moves. It helps you gain a better understanding of HR while still achieving the same goals.

Generally, HR roles fall into one of four focus areas: advisory, strategic, service providers, and solution providers. Though some positions span multiple areas, they typically fall within just one key focus area. 

Explore these focus areas and the average salaries for some of the roles within them. All salary information in this section is from Glassdoor and represents the median total pay as of February 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. 

1. Advisory

You’ll typically work in one of three positions within the advisory area. The average base salary of each includes: 

• HR consultant: $145,000 [4]

• HR generalist: $78,000 [5]

• HR business partner: $134,000 [6]

2. Service provider

The service provider area of HR includes a range of roles that provide a specific service to employees, such as payroll or benefits. Some roles you can land in this area, and their average salaries are as follows: 

• Payroll administrator: $63,000 [7]

• Payroll manager: $111,000 [8]

• Benefits administrator: $66,000 [9]

• Benefits manager: $152,000 [10]

• HR administrator: $65,000 [11]

3. Solution provider

The solution provider area includes several roles focusing on solutions for organizations, such as recruiting, training, and more. Here are some of the solution provider roles available and their average salaries:

• Headhunter: $124,000 [12]

• Training facilitator: $62,060 [13]

• HR coordinator: $67,000 [14]

• Compensation and benefits specialist: $95,000 [15]

• Diversity and inclusion manager: $170,000 [16]

4. Strategic

The strategic area of human resources primarily involves management roles, such as chief learning officer, head of HR, and chief diversity officer. Some roles you can land in this area, and their average salaries are: 

• HR director: $221,000 [17]

• Head of HR: $255,000 [18]

• Chief people officer: $522,000 [19]

• Chief diversity officer: $330,000 [20]

• Chief learning officer: $282,000 [21]

Education

As you’ll notice when you peruse human resources job descriptions, organizations typically require at least a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, communications, or a related field to gain a role in human resources. In addition to your formal education, an internship in an HR department can help you gain valuable skills and connections in the industry. 

Your education level can impact your marketability in HR. It can also affect how much you make. Check out the impact of the type of degree you have on your potential earning power below: 

• According to Zippia, a human resources assistant with a high school diploma earns an average annual salary of $36,130. Gaining an associate degree bumps this average to $36,704. With a bachelor’s degree, the average salary increases to $39,970. Finally, a master’s degree boosts the average salary to $45,405 [22].

• As a senior human resources specialist with a high school diploma, the average salary is $59,293 per year, according to Zippia. Gaining an associate degree increases this average to $59,472 annually. With a bachelor’s degree, this average jumps to $69,621. And with a master’s degree, the average salary is $76,318 [23].

• Finally, the average salary for a human resources manager with a high school diploma is $75,411 per year. Earning an associate degree increases the average salary to $74,453 per year. With a bachelor’s degree, this average jumps to $86,653. And with a master’s degree, the average salary is $95,718 [24].

Certification

Gaining a human resources certification is generally optional. However, demonstrating your expertise can help boost your chances of landing a job. It can also potentially increase your earnings. Explore some potential HR certifications you can earn and the average salaries they might help you earn: 

• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP): $81,000 [25]

• SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP): $109,000 [26]

• ASPPA Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA): $78,000 [27]

• HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR): $86,000 [28]

• HRCI Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR): $112,000 [29]

• HRCI Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR): $114,000 [30]

Experience

As you spend time in your human resources career, you can learn new skills and gain knowledge to do your job more effectively and at a higher level. By gaining more experience, you may see your salary rise. Learn how years of experience can impact specific human resources salaries for three different positions according to February 2026 data from Glassdoor: 

HR assistant [31]

• 0–1 years: $53,000

• 1–3 years: $56,000

• 4–6 years: $59,000

• 7–9 years: $62,000

• 10–14 years: $65,000

• 15 or more years: $71,000

HR specialist [32]

• 0–1 years: $63,000

• 1–3 years: $67,000

• 4–6 years: $74,000

• 7–9 years: $82,000

• 10–14 years: $91,000

• 15 or more years: $106,000 

HR manager [33]

• 0–1 years: $84,000

• 1–3 years: $86,000

• 4–6 years: $94,000

• 7–9 years: $105,000

• 10–14 years: $120,000

• 15 or more years: $139,000 

Location

Where you live and work is another factor impacting your human resources salary. Whether it’s the cost of living in the area or a limited supply of quality HR workers, your salary may differ based on where you decide to live and work. 

You'll notice the differences as you review the average salaries for HR roles in some major cities nationwide. All salary information in this section is from Glassdoor and represents the median total pay as of February 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

HR assistant

• New York, NY: $60,000 

• Chicago, IL: $55,000

• Seattle, WA: $59,000 

• San Francisco, CA: $65,000

• Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: $52,000

• Atlanta, GA: $53,000

• Miami, FL: $52,000

HR specialist

• New York, NY: $97,000

• Chicago, IL: $84,000

• Seattle, WA: $93,000

• San Francisco, CA: $108,000

• Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: $80,000

• Atlanta, GA: $80,000

• Miami, FL: $74,000

HR manager

• New York, NY: $132,000

• Chicago, IL: $127,000

• Seattle, WA: $149,000

• San Francisco, CA: $156,000

• Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: $121,000

• Atlanta, GA: $124,000

• Miami, FL: $110,000

Highest-paying states for human resources roles

If you’re willing to move to maximize your human resources salary, knowing which states have the highest salaries might help you decide. Explore the top five states in terms of average HR salaries, according to Zippia’s November 2024 data for three different roles.

HR assistant [22]

1. District of Columbia: $46,739

2. New York: $40,838

3. Connecticut: $40,288

4. Massachusetts: $39,695

5. Alaska: $39,433

HR specialist [23]

1. District of Columbia: $86,259

2. New York: $83,418

3. Massachusetts: $75,978

4. California: $71,444

5. Maryland: $70,802

HR manager [24]

1. Washington: $95,730

2. New York: $90,216

3. Nevada: $82,410

4. California: $89,937

5. Connecticut: $85,399 

Industry

Virtually every industry needs human resources professionals, but some pay more than others. Review the five highest-paying industries in key HR roles for three HR positions, according to Zippia. 

HR assistant [22]

1. Technology: $40,065

2. Finance: $41,575

3. Manufacturing: $39,495

4. Professional: $38,065

5. Government: $37,518 

HR specialist [23]

1. Finance: $77,555

2. Technology: $76,444

3. Manufacturing: $71,645

4. Telecommunications: $66,744

5. Health care: $62,614 

HR manager [24]

1. Technology: $92,205

2. Finance: $91,622

3. Manufacturing: $86,567

4. Retail: $84,182

5. Professional: $83,379 

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