Home › Occupations › Human Resources Specialist
Human Resources Specialists Salary by State
There were an estimated 917,460 human resources specialists working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) human resources specialist earned $72,910 a year, or $35.05 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $79,730. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of human resources specialists earned $45,440 or less, the bottom quarter earned $55,870 or less, the top quarter earned at least $97,270, and the top 10% earned at least $126,540. Where a human resources specialist works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where human resources specialists earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for human resources specialists is in District of Columbia, at $102,500 a year — 40.6% higher than the national median of $72,910. Next are Washington at $83,230 and Massachusetts at $81,960. At the other end, Arkansas posts the lowest published median, $52,890, which is 27.5% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 1.9 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the human resources specialist jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 104,880 human resources specialists, and the three largest states — California, Texas, and Florida — together account for 28% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $81,810, 12.2% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Human Resources Specialist salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for human resources specialists in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of human resources specialists in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 7,130 | $49.28 | $102,500 | $110,050 | $167,050 |
| Washington | 25,110 | $40.01 | $83,230 | $93,800 | $136,660 |
| Massachusetts | 25,490 | $39.41 | $81,960 | $92,230 | $140,550 |
| California | 104,880 | $39.33 | $81,810 | $94,720 | $152,010 |
| Maryland | 16,960 | $39.01 | $81,140 | $90,080 | $139,380 |
| New York | 53,030 | $39.01 | $81,140 | $91,490 | $142,880 |
| Virginia | 29,530 | $37.78 | $78,580 | $86,260 | $133,680 |
| Colorado | 21,020 | $37.58 | $78,170 | $89,280 | $135,250 |
| New Jersey | 23,180 | $37.58 | $78,170 | $86,070 | $129,740 |
| Connecticut | 8,660 | $37.38 | $77,750 | $83,200 | $125,700 |
| Minnesota | 16,850 | $37.14 | $77,250 | $82,260 | $125,260 |
| Kansas | 8,830 | $36.77 | $76,490 | $77,880 | $110,300 |
| Vermont | 1,290 | $36.63 | $76,190 | $80,830 | $114,990 |
| Oregon | 11,200 | $35.59 | $74,030 | $79,310 | $114,100 |
| Delaware | 3,110 | $34.94 | $72,670 | $79,540 | $127,150 |
| Illinois | 32,600 | $34.78 | $72,350 | $76,880 | $113,900 |
| Rhode Island | 3,160 | $33.69 | $70,060 | $76,760 | $116,620 |
| North Dakota | 1,870 | $33.53 | $69,740 | $75,080 | $122,410 |
| North Carolina | 31,510 | $33.37 | $69,400 | $77,920 | $124,500 |
| Utah | 10,450 | $32.51 | $67,620 | $75,190 | $118,220 |
| Hawaii | 2,710 | $32.20 | $66,970 | $72,430 | $108,090 |
| Michigan | 26,870 | $31.93 | $66,400 | $73,560 | $107,910 |
| Wisconsin | 17,630 | $31.91 | $66,370 | $72,060 | $103,710 |
| Pennsylvania Detailed guide | 36,710 | $31.74 | $66,020 | $74,640 | $109,430 |
| New Hampshire | 3,990 | $31.54 | $65,610 | $76,280 | $116,520 |
| Arizona | 19,840 | $31.45 | $65,410 | $72,850 | $106,350 |
| Tennessee | 20,490 | $31.35 | $65,200 | $73,120 | $115,350 |
| New Mexico | 4,330 | $31.34 | $65,180 | $71,260 | $107,970 |
| Georgia | 32,980 | $31.31 | $65,130 | $73,920 | $115,840 |
| Kentucky | 10,680 | $31.23 | $64,950 | $69,920 | $103,400 |
| Iowa | 7,780 | $31.21 | $64,920 | $71,660 | $108,720 |
| South Carolina | 12,440 | $31.12 | $64,720 | $72,850 | $115,750 |
| Ohio Detailed guide | 34,590 | $31.06 | $64,600 | $72,860 | $108,780 |
| Texas | 85,580 | $31.04 | $64,560 | $73,890 | $117,870 |
| Maine | 3,080 | $30.97 | $64,420 | $69,970 | $102,520 |
| Nevada | 6,400 | $30.83 | $64,120 | $75,380 | $116,170 |
| Florida Detailed guide | 62,880 | $30.75 | $63,960 | $73,310 | $114,660 |
| Idaho | 3,490 | $30.59 | $63,630 | $67,510 | $100,610 |
| Alabama | 11,200 | $30.18 | $62,770 | $69,880 | $105,500 |
| Missouri | 18,240 | $30.15 | $62,710 | $70,430 | $104,020 |
| Wyoming | 950 | $30.14 | $62,690 | $69,680 | $107,350 |
| West Virginia | 2,950 | $29.95 | $62,300 | $71,210 | $113,730 |
| Indiana | 17,320 | $29.92 | $62,230 | $68,680 | $103,220 |
| South Dakota | 1,490 | $29.77 | $61,920 | $69,140 | $99,720 |
| Montana | 2,200 | $29.74 | $61,860 | $67,120 | $99,720 |
| Louisiana | 6,610 | $29.34 | $61,020 | $65,310 | $98,710 |
| Nebraska | 8,140 | $28.52 | $59,330 | $63,770 | $96,880 |
| Oklahoma | 9,460 | $27.92 | $58,070 | $64,530 | $99,720 |
| Mississippi | 4,560 | $26.95 | $56,050 | $63,130 | $103,390 |
| Arkansas | 5,660 | $25.43 | $52,890 | $61,630 | $99,910 |
Human Resources Specialist wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 130 | $28.03 | $58,310 | $62,370 | $84,230 |
| Guam | 330 | $25.72 | $53,490 | $57,640 | $83,570 |
| Puerto Rico | 4,090 | $18.23 | $37,920 | $42,870 | $66,310 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of human resources specialists earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $79,730 sits above the median of $72,910 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Human Resources Specialist salary FAQ
What is the average human resources specialist salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for human resources specialists at $79,730 in May 2024, with a median of $72,910 ($35.05 an hour) across 917,460 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays human resources specialists the most?
District of Columbia has the highest median pay for human resources specialists, at $102,500 a year in May 2024 — 40.6% higher than the national median of $72,910.
Which state pays human resources specialists the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Arkansas has the lowest median for human resources specialists, at $52,890 a year, 27.5% lower than the national median.
How many human resources specialists are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 917,460 human resources specialists jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 104,880 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.