How much do HR specialists make?

HR Specialist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Human Resources Specialists (SOC 13-1071) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

HR specialists in the US earned a median of $75,940 a year ($36.51 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $58,610 to $99,380.

Median annual pay: $75,940; Mean $81,990
Median hourly pay: $36.51; Mean $39.42
Typical range (10th–90th): $47.2K–$129K; $47,180 to $128,720
US jobs: 912,430; +6.4% 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 specialist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: District of Columbia

HR Specialist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$47,180
25th percentile$58,610
Median$75,940
75th percentile$99,380
90th percentile$128,720

Half of all HR specialists earned more than $75,940 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $47,180; the top 10% made over $128,720. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $58,610 to $99,380.

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	$47,180	$22.69	$3,932
25th	$58,610	$28.18	$4,884
Median (50th)	$75,940	$36.51	$6,328
75th	$99,380	$47.78	$8,282
90th	$128,720	$61.89	$10,727
Mean (average)	$81,990	$39.42	$6,833

HR Specialist salary by state

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

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

Highest-paying states

1. District of Columbia $110,970
2. Massachusetts $85,630
3. Washington $84,550
4. New York $84,380
5. Maryland $83,910

Lowest-paying states

51. Arkansas $55,010
50. Mississippi $60,300
49. Louisiana $61,300
48. Oklahoma $61,630
47. Nebraska $61,930

Best after cost of living: District of Columbia. Its median of $110,970 is worth about $100,973 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$64,940	45	$73,112	32	$31.22	11,080	5.24
Alaska	$76,990	16	$75,216	23	$37.02	1,420	4.37
Arizona	$71,390	24	$70,910	39	$34.32	20,230	6.24
Arkansas	$55,010	51	$63,276	51	$26.45	6,230	4.78
California	$83,500	6	$75,415	22	$40.14	104,000	5.71
Colorado	$80,840	9	$78,446	11	$38.86	19,450	6.77
Connecticut	$82,890	7	$80,002	5	$39.85	9,010	5.31
Delaware	$77,700	14	$77,849	13	$37.36	2,720	5.61
District of Columbia	$110,970	1	$100,973	1	$53.35	6,910	9.84
Florida	$66,410	41	$64,218	50	$31.93	62,730	6.32
Georgia	$70,570	27	$73,287	31	$33.93	32,110	6.57
Hawaii	$73,750	19	$67,075	49	$35.46	2,570	4.09
Idaho	$64,990	44	$68,057	46	$31.25	3,930	4.59
Illinois	$76,820	17	$76,852	15	$36.93	35,430	5.81
Indiana	$65,600	42	$70,289	40	$31.54	17,110	5.34
Iowa	$66,710	40	$76,012	18	$32.07	7,930	5.09
Kansas	$70,870	25	$78,685	10	$34.07	7,560	5.26
Kentucky	$69,010	32	$76,543	16	$33.18	10,900	5.45
Louisiana	$61,300	49	$69,496	43	$29.47	7,240	3.74
Maine	$71,630	22	$73,807	27	$34.44	3,020	4.71
Maryland	$83,910	5	$79,946	6	$40.34	15,530	5.62
Massachusetts	$85,630	2	$80,969	4	$41.17	27,300	7.50
Michigan	$69,520	31	$72,253	34	$33.42	25,520	5.79
Minnesota	$78,760	11	$79,861	7	$37.87	17,240	5.84
Mississippi	$60,300	50	$69,348	44	$28.99	4,850	4.17
Missouri	$66,990	37	$73,764	29	$32.21	17,650	6.01
Montana	$63,790	46	$67,399	48	$30.67	2,340	4.57
Nebraska	$61,930	47	$68,732	45	$29.77	7,220	7.05
Nevada	$71,610	23	$71,625	37	$34.43	6,520	4.20
New Hampshire	$70,840	26	$68,007	47	$34.06	4,270	6.25
New Jersey	$80,690	10	$74,160	26	$38.80	21,690	5.06
New Mexico	$68,050	34	$73,797	28	$32.72	4,090	4.69
New York	$84,380	4	$78,187	12	$40.57	54,610	5.64
North Carolina	$73,070	20	$77,465	14	$35.13	31,140	6.30
North Dakota	$75,630	18	$85,017	2	$36.36	1,710	3.98
Ohio	$70,180	30	$75,646	20	$33.74	33,500	6.04
Oklahoma	$61,630	48	$70,159	41	$29.63	9,370	5.49
Oregon	$78,060	12	$75,522	21	$37.53	10,620	5.40
Pennsylvania	$70,450	29	$72,203	36	$33.87	36,960	6.09
Rhode Island	$77,560	15	$75,831	19	$37.29	3,320	6.63
South Carolina	$65,370	43	$69,729	42	$31.43	13,720	5.95
South Dakota	$67,590	35	$76,299	17	$32.50	1,340	2.92
Tennessee	$67,370	36	$73,332	30	$32.39	21,460	6.54
Texas	$68,920	33	$71,010	38	$33.14	84,930	6.04
Utah	$71,750	21	$72,574	33	$34.49	9,900	5.70
Vermont	$77,800	13	$79,422	8	$37.40	1,270	4.19
Virginia	$82,090	8	$81,194	3	$39.47	28,540	6.95
Washington	$84,550	3	$79,009	9	$40.65	22,770	6.41
West Virginia	$66,860	39	$74,706	25	$32.14	3,130	4.47
Wisconsin	$70,540	28	$74,967	24	$33.91	17,360	5.90
Wyoming	$66,970	38	$72,251	35	$32.20	1,000	3.54

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 specialists

387 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$112,140	$101,555	7,970
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$103,140	$89,211	16,420
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$100,830	$92,603	24,450
Lexington Park, MD	$98,170	$97,430	330
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV	$94,520	$108,561	440
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$92,770	$83,477	14,120
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$90,290	$85,496	710
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$90,270	$83,378	21,770
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$89,780	$79,760	52,370
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$86,700	$83,631	1,410

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	52,370	$89,780	$79,760
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	36,850	$80,220	$70,637
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	29,190	$70,700	$68,581
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	26,470	$78,210	$75,496
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	24,450	$100,830	$92,603
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	21,770	$90,270	$83,378
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	20,920	$75,410	$75,366
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	18,320	$72,550	$73,558
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	18,080	$67,580	$59,200
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	16,420	$103,140	$89,211

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

What moves HR specialist pay: employers and settings

Employer type is the clearest pay lever for HR specialists. HR specialists in the federal government have a median of $108,080. That is well above private employers at $75,140. Computer systems design firms pay a median of $93,590. Corporate headquarters pay $79,920 and consulting firms $79,530. Local government pays $75,840 and state government $68,290.

Staffing agencies employ the most HR specialists but pay the least of the largest employing industries, with a median of $60,550.

Location matters. The District of Columbia has the highest median, $110,970, and stays on top after adjusting for living costs at $100,973. Next come Massachusetts at $85,630, Washington at $84,550, New York at $84,380, and Maryland at $83,910. Arkansas is lowest at $55,010.

Across the occupation, pay runs from $47,180, the 10th percentile, to $128,720, the 90th. BLS does not break that range down by title, specialty or years of experience. Taking on new responsibilities and earning a certification are the moves BLS links to advancement, including promotion to HR manager.

Where HR specialists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Employment Services	13.6%	$60,550
Management of Companies and Enterprises	8.1%	$79,920
Federal Executive Branch	4.2%	$108,180
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	3.9%	$79,530
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	3.7%	$77,340
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	3.4%	$93,590

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	784,660	$75,140
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	38,910	$108,080
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	35,740	$68,290
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	53,120	$75,840

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

HR Specialist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$75.9K $58.4K

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 $58,350 in 2015 to $75,940 in 2025, up 30% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $78,878 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 4% 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 specialists do

An HR specialist, or human resources specialist, finds, hires and supports an organization's employees. The official occupation covers HR generalists, who handle a bit of everything, and recruiters, who concentrate on filling open jobs. Recruiters write job postings, search for candidates, run phone screens and interviews, check references and present offers. Generalists answer employee questions about policy, leave and benefits, keep personnel files current, run new-hire orientation and look into complaints.

The largest single group, 13.6% in our data, works for staffing and employment agencies, placing workers with client companies. Others work inside corporate headquarters, consulting and IT firms, hospitals, manufacturers and every level of government. The federal government alone employs 38,910.

Most of the work is done in an office, using an applicant tracking system and an HR information system. HR specialists deal constantly with hiring managers, applicants and employees. Recruiters travel to job fairs and college campuses at some employers. Most work full-time business hours, though hiring pushes and layoffs can mean longer weeks.

A typical day

Meet with hiring managers to agree on what an open job needs and where to look for candidates
Post openings, search résumé databases and screen applicants by phone or video
Schedule and sit in on interviews, check references and run background checks
Make job offers and complete hiring paperwork, I-9 forms and system entries
Run orientation for new hires and answer questions about leave, benefits and policy
Take in employee complaints, document them and help managers respond within the law
Update the employee handbook, job descriptions and personnel records

Also called: human resources specialist, recruiter, hr generalist, corporate recruiter, employment representative, hr analyst (human resources analyst), hr coordinator (human resources coordinator), hr generalist (human resources generalist).

How to become an HR specialist

Full guide

To become an HR specialist, most people earn a 4-year bachelor's degree in human resources, business, communications or a related field, then start in an entry HR or recruiting role. No license is needed; certifications such as the SHRM-CP or aPHR are optional but preferred by some employers.

Typical time: 4 to 5 years; Fastest: About 4 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in human resources, business, communications or a related field (usual employer requirement)
License: Not licensed (certification optional)
Typical training cost: $43.0K–$43.5K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an HR specialist: 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: 4 to 5 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $43.0K–$43.5K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $75,940; $24,960 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 57–57%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($24,960 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 1.7–1.7 years after training ends (4 to 5 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 specialists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +6.4%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 939,700; 999,700 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 73,700; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 1.1%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects employment of HR specialists to grow from 939,700 in 2025 to 999,700 in 2035, a 6.4% increase, against 3.5% for all occupations. That means about 73,700 openings a year, most of them created when people move into other occupations or leave the workforce, for example to retire.

BLS expects organizations to keep or raise the number of HR staff per employee as employers lean on HR staff to meet strategic goals. Outside HR service firms should grow faster than in-house departments, because more companies hand recruiting and HR administration to contractors.

Related careers and their pay

HR Manager$149,280
Business Analyst$101,860
Project Manager$102,320
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs$54,210

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

HR Specialist salary FAQ

How much do HR specialists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for HR specialists was $36.51 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22.69 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $61.89. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays HR specialists the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay for HR specialists, $110,970 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($85,630) and Washington ($84,550). After adjusting for each state's price level, District of Columbia comes out ahead at about $100,973 in national-average dollars.

Do HR specialists make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of HR specialists earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $75,940, and the top 10% earn more than $128,720. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between an HR specialist and an HR generalist?

BLS counts both in the same occupation. A generalist covers every HR area at once, from hiring and benefits to policy questions and employee complaints, and is common at smaller employers with one- or two-person HR teams. A specialist title often means a narrower focus, such as recruiting, benefits, leave administration or HR systems, at a larger organization with a full HR department.

Is a recruiter the same as an HR specialist?

Yes, in official data. Recruiters, also called talent acquisition specialists, fall under the human resources specialist occupation. Their work is centered on filling jobs: sourcing candidates, screening, interviewing and extending offers. Some work in-house for one employer, while others work for staffing agencies or search firms that place candidates with many client companies. Agency roles are the largest single employer group in our data.

Do HR specialists work from home?

Some can, depending on the employer. Recruiting, benefits questions, records and HR systems work are mostly done by computer and phone, so some employers offer remote or hybrid schedules. Roles that handle in-person orientation, employee complaints or onsite staff at hospitals, plants and warehouses usually require more time in the building. BLS describes the job as office-based, with travel for some recruiters.

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 13-1071
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (13-1071.00), 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 Specialists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Human Resources Specialists (13-1071.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
aPHR Certification, HR Certification Institute · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Fees, HR Certification Institute · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Options and Fees, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026
Eligibility Criteria, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026
PHR Certification - Requirements & Exam Info, HR Certification Institute · checked October 28, 2026
SHRM Recertification, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026
Pursue SHRM Endorsement of Your HR Degree Program, Society for Human Resource Management · checked October 28, 2026

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