Human Resources Specialist Salary by State
How much human resources specialists earn in each state. SOC code 13-1071 (Human Resources Specialists). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$75,940Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$81,990Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$36.51Mean $39.42/hour
- U.S. employment912,430Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateDistrict of Columbia$116,020 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do human resources specialists make?
Nationally, human resources specialists earn a median of $75,940 a year and a mean of $81,990 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $58,610 (25th percentile) and $99,380 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $47,180 and the top 10% more than $128,720.
That median is 1.5× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $116,020 in District of Columbia (highest) to $62,410 in Arkansas (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, District of Columbia comes out on top at $100,974 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,180 | $3,932 | $22.69 |
| 25th | $58,610 | $4,884 | $28.18 |
| Median | $75,940 | $6,328 | $36.51 |
| 75th | $99,380 | $8,282 | $47.78 |
| 90th | $128,720 | $10,727 | $61.89 |
| Mean | $81,990 | $6,832 | $39.42 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Human Resources Specialist salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $116,020 | $110,970 | $53.35 | $65,280 | $170,330 | $100,974 | 6,910 |
| Massachusetts | $95,400 | $85,630 | $41.17 | $57,500 | $145,130 | $80,936 | 27,300 |
| California | $95,180 | $83,500 | $40.14 | $52,770 | $151,410 | $75,429 | 104,000 |
| New York | $95,040 | $84,380 | $40.57 | $56,040 | $149,990 | $78,202 | 54,610 |
| Washington | $94,000 | $84,550 | $40.65 | $57,030 | $136,070 | $79,019 | 22,770 |
| Maryland | $92,180 | $83,910 | $40.34 | $54,410 | $139,400 | $79,914 | 15,530 |
| Connecticut | $90,080 | $82,890 | $39.85 | $51,000 | $134,810 | $80,010 | 9,010 |
| Virginia | $89,620 | $82,090 | $39.47 | $48,530 | $136,660 | $81,197 | 28,540 |
| New Jersey | $89,170 | $80,690 | $38.80 | $56,420 | $132,770 | $74,164 | 21,690 |
| Colorado | $88,440 | $80,840 | $38.86 | $51,290 | $133,850 | $78,409 | 19,450 |
| Delaware | $85,230 | $77,700 | $37.36 | $50,960 | $132,030 | $77,856 | 2,720 |
| Oregon | $84,550 | $78,060 | $37.53 | $51,480 | $126,280 | $75,493 | 10,620 |
| Minnesota | $83,970 | $78,760 | $37.87 | $50,330 | $127,060 | $79,878 | 17,240 |
| Rhode Island | $82,250 | $77,560 | $37.29 | $51,270 | $128,250 | $75,816 | 3,320 |
| Illinois | $81,480 | $76,820 | $36.93 | $48,980 | $123,940 | $76,820 | 35,430 |
| Vermont | $80,760 | $77,800 | $37.40 | $55,510 | $114,090 | $79,388 | 1,270 |
| Alaska | $80,410 | $76,990 | $37.02 | $49,910 | $114,330 | $75,186 | 1,420 |
| North Carolina | $79,450 | $73,070 | $35.13 | $46,760 | $126,000 | $77,487 | 31,140 |
| Nevada | $79,260 | $71,610 | $34.43 | $47,150 | $119,050 | $71,610 | 6,520 |
| North Dakota | $79,210 | $75,630 | $36.36 | $50,520 | $116,990 | $84,978 | 1,710 |
| New Hampshire | $78,500 | $70,840 | $34.06 | $47,700 | $122,560 | $67,985 | 4,270 |
| Utah | $77,610 | $71,750 | $34.49 | $46,800 | $123,780 | $72,548 | 9,900 |
| Georgia | $77,570 | $70,570 | $33.93 | $44,580 | $125,540 | $73,281 | 32,110 |
| Hawaii | $77,320 | $73,750 | $35.46 | $49,110 | $113,320 | $67,045 | 2,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,290 | $70,450 | $33.87 | $46,610 | $119,850 | $72,182 | 36,960 |
| Kansas | $76,590 | $70,870 | $34.07 | $47,340 | $115,920 | $78,657 | 7,560 |
| Arizona | $76,500 | $71,390 | $34.32 | $47,290 | $112,900 | $70,894 | 20,230 |
| Ohio | $76,230 | $70,180 | $33.74 | $45,950 | $118,340 | $75,625 | 33,500 |
| Michigan | $75,250 | $69,520 | $33.42 | $46,580 | $110,710 | $72,266 | 25,520 |
| Maine | $75,140 | $71,630 | $34.44 | $45,850 | $105,840 | $73,845 | 3,020 |
| New Mexico | $75,140 | $68,050 | $32.72 | $46,620 | $117,170 | $73,807 | 4,090 |
| Wyoming | $74,990 | $66,970 | $32.20 | $44,630 | $115,790 | $72,244 | 1,000 |
| Texas | $74,920 | $68,920 | $33.14 | $43,410 | $117,060 | $70,978 | 84,930 |
| South Carolina | $74,710 | $65,370 | $31.43 | $46,070 | $118,590 | $69,765 | 13,720 |
| Missouri | $74,670 | $66,990 | $32.21 | $44,730 | $110,660 | $73,778 | 17,650 |
| Florida | $74,610 | $66,410 | $31.93 | $44,920 | $115,920 | $64,226 | 62,730 |
| South Dakota | $74,450 | $67,590 | $32.50 | $50,670 | $104,550 | $76,287 | 1,340 |
| Wisconsin | $74,310 | $70,540 | $33.91 | $47,860 | $105,270 | $74,963 | 17,360 |
| West Virginia | $74,040 | $66,860 | $32.14 | $44,490 | $115,920 | $74,704 | 3,130 |
| Iowa | $73,850 | $66,710 | $32.07 | $45,400 | $110,640 | $75,979 | 7,930 |
| Tennessee | $73,590 | $67,370 | $32.39 | $45,630 | $109,990 | $73,308 | 21,460 |
| Kentucky | $72,970 | $69,010 | $33.18 | $43,690 | $107,940 | $76,508 | 10,900 |
| Alabama | $72,590 | $64,940 | $31.22 | $41,890 | $112,880 | $73,131 | 11,080 |
| Indiana | $72,550 | $65,600 | $31.54 | $44,810 | $106,830 | $70,311 | 17,110 |
| Montana | $71,430 | $63,790 | $30.67 | $44,990 | $108,180 | $67,431 | 2,340 |
| Idaho | $70,070 | $64,990 | $31.25 | $43,820 | $102,490 | $68,052 | 3,930 |
| Mississippi | $68,360 | $60,300 | $28.99 | $38,500 | $108,950 | $69,310 | 4,850 |
| Oklahoma | $67,900 | $61,630 | $29.63 | $39,990 | $103,460 | $70,194 | 9,370 |
| Nebraska | $67,010 | $61,930 | $29.77 | $42,730 | $98,480 | $68,735 | 7,220 |
| Louisiana | $66,370 | $61,300 | $29.47 | $39,170 | $100,420 | $69,501 | 7,240 |
| Arkansas | $62,410 | $55,010 | $26.45 | $32,030 | $99,990 | $63,303 | 6,230 |
Highest median pay
- District of Columbia — $110,970
- Massachusetts — $85,630
- Washington — $84,550
- New York — $84,380
- Maryland — $83,910
Lowest median pay
- Arkansas — $55,010
- Mississippi — $60,300
- Louisiana — $61,300
- Oklahoma — $61,630
- Nebraska — $61,930
Best pay after cost of living
- District of Columbia — $100,974
- North Dakota — $84,978
- Virginia — $81,197
- Massachusetts — $80,936
- Connecticut — $80,010
The most human resources specialists work in California (104,000 jobs), Texas and Florida.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a human resources specialist make?
The national median wage for human resources specialists is $75,940 a year and the mean is $81,990, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays human resources specialists the most?
District of Columbia has the highest mean wage for human resources specialists at $116,020.
Which state pays human resources specialists the least?
Arkansas has the lowest mean wage for human resources specialists among states with published data, at $62,410.
Where do human resources specialists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, District of Columbia ranks first at $100,974 in national-average dollars, followed by North Dakota and Virginia.