How much do HR managers make?

HR Manager salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Human Resources Managers (SOC 11-3121) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

HR managers in the US earned a median of $149,280 a year ($71.77 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $111,110 to $199,290.

Median annual pay: $149,280; Mean $164,230
Median hourly pay: $71.77; Mean $78.96
Typical range (10th–90th): $88.2K–$268K; $88,200 to $267,810
US jobs: 220,660; +5.5% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an HR manager: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Massachusetts

HR Manager pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$88,200
25th percentile$111,110
Median$149,280
75th percentile$199,290
90th percentile$267,810

Half of all HR managers earned more than $149,280 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $88,200; the top 10% made over $267,810. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $111,110 to $199,290.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$88,200	$42.40	$7,350
25th	$111,110	$53.42	$9,259
Median (50th)	$149,280	$71.77	$12,440
75th	$199,290	$95.81	$16,608
90th	$267,810	$128.76	$22,318
Mean (average)	$164,230	$78.96	$13,686

HR Manager salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for HR managers by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. District of Columbia $184,350
2. Massachusetts $181,780
3. New York $176,650
4. New Jersey $172,440
5. California $170,080

Lowest-paying states

51. Mississippi $106,100
50. Louisiana $107,880
49. Arkansas $108,580
48. Alabama $113,210
47. Montana $115,280

Best after cost of living: Massachusetts. Its median of $181,780 is worth about $171,885 at national-average prices, more than in District of Columbia once prices are counted.


Alabama	$113,210	48	$127,456	44	$54.43	2,160	1.02
Alaska	$129,570	34	$126,584	45	$62.29	610	1.88
Arizona	$139,820	18	$138,880	28	$67.22	3,950	1.22
Arkansas	$108,580	49	$124,895	47	$52.20	1,290	0.99
California	$170,080	5	$153,613	14	$81.77	27,450	1.51
Colorado	$166,400	7	$161,472	6	$80.00	3,620	1.26
Connecticut	$165,930	9	$160,149	7	$79.77	3,020	1.78
Delaware	$153,890	11	$154,186	13	$73.99	580	1.19
District of Columbia	$184,350	1	$167,742	2	$88.63	2,250	3.20
Florida	$137,790	21	$133,241	36	$66.25	11,570	1.17
Georgia	$150,700	15	$156,502	9	$72.45	7,270	1.49
Hawaii	$128,910	36	$117,243	51	$61.97	710	1.14
Idaho	$119,990	43	$125,652	46	$57.69	1,040	1.22
Illinois	$151,370	14	$151,434	16	$72.78	13,520	2.22
Indiana	$130,340	32	$139,656	27	$62.66	3,030	0.95
Iowa	$126,370	39	$143,992	20	$60.76	1,620	1.04
Kansas	$134,470	24	$149,298	17	$64.65	1,290	0.90
Kentucky	$121,460	41	$134,718	33	$58.40	1,960	0.98
Louisiana	$107,880	50	$122,303	48	$51.87	1,390	0.72
Maine	$129,720	33	$133,663	35	$62.37	700	1.08
Maryland	$152,770	13	$145,552	18	$73.45	3,820	1.38
Massachusetts	$181,780	2	$171,885	1	$87.39	7,540	2.07
Michigan	$138,930	20	$144,392	19	$66.79	5,890	1.34
Minnesota	$153,770	12	$155,920	11	$73.93	4,370	1.48
Mississippi	$106,100	51	$122,020	49	$51.01	720	0.61
Missouri	$130,680	30	$143,894	21	$62.83	3,510	1.19
Montana	$115,280	47	$121,803	50	$55.42	530	1.04
Nebraska	$129,460	35	$143,680	22	$62.24	1,660	1.62
Nevada	$128,550	37	$128,577	42	$61.80	1,520	0.98
New Hampshire	$135,000	23	$129,602	41	$64.90	1,150	1.69
New Jersey	$172,440	4	$158,485	8	$82.90	6,400	1.49
New Mexico	$118,070	44	$128,042	43	$56.76	820	0.94
New York	$176,650	3	$163,685	4	$84.93	17,920	1.85
North Carolina	$142,990	16	$151,591	15	$68.75	6,480	1.31
North Dakota	$139,050	19	$156,308	10	$66.85	290	0.67
Ohio	$130,480	31	$140,643	25	$62.73	8,040	1.45
Oklahoma	$116,080	46	$132,145	40	$55.81	1,750	1.02
Oregon	$140,570	17	$135,999	31	$67.58	2,810	1.43
Pennsylvania	$133,060	26	$136,371	30	$63.97	8,230	1.36
Rhode Island	$167,110	6	$163,385	5	$80.34	530	1.06
South Carolina	$124,290	40	$132,577	39	$59.76	2,400	1.04
South Dakota	$117,930	45	$133,125	37	$56.70	420	0.93
Tennessee	$131,760	28	$143,420	23	$63.35	4,310	1.31
Texas	$136,500	22	$140,639	26	$65.63	23,220	1.65
Utah	$131,380	29	$132,890	38	$63.16	2,240	1.29
Vermont	$132,050	27	$134,803	32	$63.49	360	1.19
Virginia	$165,980	8	$164,168	3	$79.80	5,770	1.40
Washington	$165,530	10	$154,682	12	$79.58	4,560	1.28
West Virginia	$120,020	42	$134,105	34	$57.70	510	0.73
Wisconsin	$133,490	25	$141,867	24	$64.18	3,730	1.27
Wyoming	$127,520	38	$137,575	29	$61.31	140	0.48

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for HR managers

355 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$220,460	$199,650	2,800
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$209,340	$181,070	4,960
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$191,190	$178,910	990
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$185,100	$164,441	18,480
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$184,990	$170,866	6,480
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$177,960	$163,440	6,280
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$171,360	$154,194	3,200
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$170,940	$161,596	2,540
Midland, MI	$170,710	$185,714	80
Boulder, CO	$169,000	$160,643	260

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	18,480	$185,100	$164,441
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	10,810	$156,770	$151,330
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	9,070	$168,400	$148,284
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	7,970	$140,890	$136,667
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	6,480	$184,990	$170,866
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	6,280	$177,960	$163,440
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	5,890	$142,110	$144,085
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	5,300	$161,250	$161,157
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	4,960	$209,340	$181,070
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	4,190	$154,490	$150,643

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves HR manager pay: employers and settings

Industry and employer type move pay the most for HR managers. Computer systems design firms have the highest median among the top employers at $176,970. Next come corporate headquarters at $166,200 and consulting firms at $162,150. Colleges pay $132,510 and local government $132,050. Staffing agencies pay the least of the large employers, $108,990. Among employer types, the federal government pays a median of $170,890 and private employers $154,910. State government pays $114,930.

Scope matters as much as industry. An HR manager at a small company with a handful of staff earns far less than a director who leads HR for thousands of employees, and the HR vice presidents in this occupation pull the top of the range up.

Location adds to the spread. The District of Columbia has the highest median, $184,350, with Massachusetts close behind at $181,780, and Massachusetts ranks first after living costs at $171,885 adjusted. Mississippi is lowest at $106,100.

Across the occupation, pay runs from $88,200, the 10th percentile, to $267,810, the 90th percentile.

Where HR managers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises	15%	$166,200
Employment Services	5.4%	$108,990
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	4.8%	$132,050
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	3.9%	$162,150
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	3.7%	$176,970
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	2.9%	$132,510

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	191,650	$154,910
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	2,810	$170,890
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	8,610	$114,930
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	17,580	$133,180

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

HR Manager pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$149K $104K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $104,440 in 2015 to $149,280 in 2025, up 43% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $141,182 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 6% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What HR managers do

An HR manager, or human resources manager, runs the people side of an organization: hiring, pay and benefits programs, employee relations, policy and compliance with employment law. At a small company the HR manager may be the whole department. At a large one, HR managers lead teams of recruiters, generalists and benefits specialists, and an HR director or vice president sets strategy for several of those teams. Some managers run one function, such as recruiting, payroll or labor relations.

The largest group, 15% in our data, works at corporate headquarters. Others work for staffing agencies, local governments, consulting firms, software companies and colleges.

HR managers spend their days with executives, department heads and employees. They plan headcount and budgets with leadership, coach managers through discipline and terminations, handle escalated complaints, and in union workplaces negotiate and apply labor contracts. Most work in an office during business hours, though many work more than 40 hours a week, and managers at multi-site employers travel to other locations.

A typical day

Plan staffing levels and the HR budget with senior leaders
Supervise recruiters, generalists and benefits or payroll staff, and review their work
Coach managers on discipline, performance problems and terminations
Investigate serious complaints, such as harassment or discrimination, and decide on outcomes
Review pay ranges and benefit plans against the market and legal rules
Write and update policies, and make sure the organization follows federal, state and local employment law
Represent the employer in grievance meetings, agency investigations or union contract talks

Also called: human resources manager, hr director, employee relations manager, hr admin director (human resources administration director), hr director (human resources director), hr manager (human resources manager), hr ops manager (human resources operations manager), hr vp (human resources vice president).

How to become an HR manager

Full guide

To become an HR manager, you typically earn a bachelor's degree in human resources, business or a related field (4 years), then spend about five years or more in HR specialist or generalist roles. Some employers want a master's degree; no license is required, and senior certifications like the SHRM-SCP or SPHR are optional.

Typical time: 9 to 11 years; Fastest: About 7 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in human resources, business, communications, psychology or a related field; some roles require a master's
License: Not licensed (certification optional)
Typical training cost: $43.0K–$84.6K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an HR manager: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 9 to 11 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $43.0K–$84.6K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $149,280; $98,300 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 29–57%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($98,300 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (9 to 11 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for HR managers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +5.5%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 224,900; 237,400 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 16,800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.2%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects HR manager jobs to grow from 224,900 in 2025 to 237,400 in 2035, a 5.5% increase, compared with 3.5% for all occupations. That works out to about 16,800 openings a year, mostly to replace managers who retire or move into other occupations.

BLS ties the demand to priorities such as engagement, retention and management quality, which push HR leaders closer to the executive team. Openings are far fewer than for HR specialists, so most managers are promoted from those ranks, and experience counts heavily.

Related careers and their pay

HR Specialist$75,940
Business Analyst$101,860
Project Manager$102,320
Healthcare Administrator$123,860
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

HR Manager salary FAQ

How much do HR managers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for HR managers was $71.77 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42.40 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $128.76. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays HR managers the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay for HR managers, $184,350 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($181,780) and New York ($176,650). After adjusting for each state's price level, Massachusetts comes out ahead at about $171,885 in national-average dollars.

Do HR managers make $200,000 a year?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of HR managers earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $149,280, and the top 10% earn more than $267,810. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between an HR manager and an HR director?

Both fall in the same BLS occupation. An HR manager usually runs day-to-day HR work, supervising specialists and handling escalated employee issues. An HR director typically oversees several HR managers or functions, sets policy and strategy, and reports to an executive. At smaller organizations the titles overlap, and one person may hold either title while doing both jobs.

Do HR managers need a master's degree?

Most do not. BLS lists a bachelor's degree plus five or more years of related experience as the typical entry path. Some employers, especially large companies and universities, ask for a master's in human resources, labor relations or an MBA for director-level roles. Many managers earn a master's part-time after several years in HR rather than before starting.

How many years of experience do you need to be an HR manager?

BLS lists five years or more of related work experience as typical. Most managers come up through HR specialist, generalist, recruiter or labor relations roles. Small companies sometimes promote a generalist into a manager title sooner, while large employers often want more years and experience supervising staff before hiring an HR director.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 11-3121
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (11-3121.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Human Resources Managers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Human Resources Managers (11-3121.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
Eligibility Criteria, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Options and Fees, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026
SPHR Certification - Requirements & Exam Info, HR Certification Institute · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Fees, HR Certification Institute · checked October 28, 2026
SHRM Recertification, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026

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