Human Resources Managers Salary
Management Occupations · 221K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$149,280
Median hourly
$72
Average annual
$164,230
Typical range
$88,200–$267,810
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Human Resources Managers is $149,280 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $72 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization..
Most earn between $88,200 and $267,810 a year. There are roughly 221K people employed as human resources managers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Human Resources Managers.
- Hourly
- $71.77
- Daily
- $574
- Weekly
- $2,871
- Bi-weekly
- $5,742
- Monthly
- $12,440
- Annual
- $149,280
$149,280 a year is around the 50th percentile for Human Resources Managerss. The median is $149,280.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$184,350
- 2Massachusetts$181,780
- 3New York$176,650
- 4New Jersey$172,440
- 5California$170,080
- 6Rhode Island$167,110
- 7Colorado$166,400
- 8Virginia$165,980
- 9Connecticut$165,930
- 10Washington$165,530
- 11Delaware$153,890
- 12Minnesota$153,770
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$220,460
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$209,340
- 3Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$191,190
- 4New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$185,100
- 5Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$184,990
- 6Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$177,960
- 7Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$171,360
- 8Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$170,940
- 9Midland, MI$170,710
- 10Boulder, CO$169,000
- 11Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$168,400
- 12Napa, CA$167,490
Related job titles
Employers advertise Human Resources Managers roles under these titles.
- Diversity Manager
- Efficiency Manager
- Employee Relations Manager
- Employee Welfare Manager
- Employment Manager
- Human Resources Administrator (HR Administrator)
- Human Resources Coordinator (HR Coordinator)
- Human Resources Director (HR Director)
- Human Resources Manager (HR Manager)
- Human Resources Operations Manager
- Human Services Manager
- Industrial Relations Director
- Industrial Relations Manager
- Job Analysis Manager
- Labor Relations Director
- Labor Relations Manager
Related occupations
- Human Resources Specialists$75,940
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
- Management Analysts$101,860
- Training and Development Managers$133,000
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologists$193,950
- Labor Relations Specialists$95,420
- Compensation and Benefits Managers$149,230
What a Human Resources Managers does
- Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
- Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
- Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
- Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
- Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
- Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
- Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
- Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Human Resources Managers make?
- The median annual wage for Human Resources Managers is $149,280 ($72 per hour). Pay ranges from about $88,200 at the 10th percentile to $267,810 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Human Resources Managers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $164,230, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Human Resources Managerss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $184,350.
- Is Human Resources Managers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 221K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Human Resources Managers do?
- Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.; Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.; Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements..