Management · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Human Resources Manager (2025)

The median Human Resources Manager salary is $220,460 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Memphis, TN offers the best purchasing power at $164,952 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Human Resources Manager, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Human Resources Manager relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$144,572

National Median

$220,460

Highest City

$103,060

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$220,460	$124,990, $397,910	195.8	$112,594	2,800
2	San Francisco, CA	$209,340	$123,950, $323,850	179.6	$116,559	4,960
3	Bridgeport, CT	$191,190	$116,020, $318,840	137.5	$139,047	990
4	New York, NY	$185,100	$107,300, $323,820	187.2	$98,878	18,480
5	Boston, MA	$184,990	$99,990, $317,690	152.1	$121,624	6,480
6	Washington, DC	$177,960	$111,720, $282,330	152.8	$116,466	6,280
7	Seattle, WA	$171,360	$111,060, $291,480	149.4	$114,699	3,200
8	Denver, CO	$170,940	$109,540, $277,530	112.8	$151,543	2,540
9	Los Angeles, CA	$168,400	$98,810, $299,740	166	$101,446	9,070
10	Providence, RI	$163,290	$103,380, $265,010	119.4	$136,759	730
11	San Diego, CA	$163,190	$97,050, $282,400	160.2	$101,866	2,300
12	Atlanta, GA	$161,250	$95,080, $286,790	99.2	$162,550	5,300
13	Minneapolis, MN	$159,390	$101,350, $250,810	106.2	$150,085	3,500
14	Charlotte, NC	$158,930	$99,310, $292,290	96.7	$164,354	2,310
15	Hartford, CT	$158,180	$102,860, $254,990	112.6	$140,480	1,130
16	Chicago, IL	$156,770	$93,230, $270,150	107.3	$146,104	10,810
17	Sacramento, CA	$155,360	$86,210, $295,790	124.7	$124,587	1,300
18	Philadelphia, PA	$154,490	$91,650, $261,930	118.4	$130,481	4,190
19	Richmond, VA	$152,190	$99,800, $253,890	102.1	$149,060	960
20	Colorado Springs, CO	$151,180	$83,810, $243,830	104.5	$144,670	250
21	Buffalo, NY	$150,180	$85,030, $235,770	92.5	$162,357	590
22	Detroit, MI	$149,980	$97,340, $232,790	95.1	$157,708	3,090
23	Portland, OR	$148,900	$100,790, $258,630	130.1	$114,450	2,010
24	Spokane, WA	$147,050	$105,470, $218,510	97.4	$150,975	250
25	Rochester, NY	$146,990	$92,050, $247,310	92.9	$158,224	680
26	Baltimore, MD	$146,370	$87,150, $232,080	114.2	$128,170	1,980
27	Phoenix, AZ	$145,610	$90,750, $229,350	100.7	$144,598	3,160
28	Raleigh, NC	$144,190	$93,220, $264,980	99.8	$144,479	1,080
29	Fresno, CA	$143,180	$89,920, $211,600	105.5	$135,716	400
30	Miami, FL	$142,940	$83,470, $226,200	123.1	$116,117	3,550
31	Houston, TX	$142,110	$88,380, $224,150	96.5	$147,264	5,890
32	Dallas, TX	$140,890	$89,990, $232,540	104.1	$135,341	7,970
33	Kansas City, MO	$140,890	$91,780, $220,570	95.4	$147,683	1,380
34	Madison, WI	$140,680	$92,950, $206,920	103.8	$135,530	660
35	Austin, TX	$140,670	$85,840, $254,960	103	$136,573	2,730
36	Tampa, FL	$140,400	$80,430, $240,090	99.6	$140,964	1,830
37	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$139,010	$59,940, $231,810	122.4	$113,570	1,630
38	Memphis, TN	$138,560	$86,900, $219,780	84	$164,952	760
39	Des Moines, IA	$138,140	$91,450, $233,690	93.3	$148,060	520
40	Bakersfield, CA	$138,130	$87,960, $216,540	100.6	$137,306	240
41	Milwaukee, WI	$136,530	$96,770, $225,010	97.4	$140,175	1,190
42	Orlando, FL	$136,230	$80,300, $241,870	103.1	$132,134	1,530
43	Indianapolis, IN	$135,770	$89,310, $219,950	90.1	$150,688	1,300
44	Anchorage, AK	$135,480	$92,020, $211,830	127	$106,677	320
45	Nashville, TN	$135,230	$89,130, $225,240	100.3	$134,826	1,840
46	Jacksonville, FL	$133,950	$69,630, $223,050	95.1	$140,852	1,040
47	St. Louis, MO	$133,880	$84,630, $247,350	90	$148,756	1,940
48	Salt Lake City, UT	$133,620	$82,990, $224,480	101.4	$131,775	1,290
49	Greensboro, NC	$133,320	$88,400, $230,770	91.3	$146,024	420
50	Knoxville, TN	$132,200	$83,290, $233,640	90.3	$146,401	530
51	Cincinnati, OH	$132,070	$81,440, $223,940	91.2	$144,814	1,920
52	Wichita, KS	$132,050	$92,340, $212,920	84	$157,202	220
53	Omaha, NE	$132,020	$85,570, $211,770	91.8	$143,813	1,020
54	Pittsburgh, PA	$131,690	$78,400, $214,820	92.3	$142,676	1,600
55	Columbus, OH	$131,100	$89,150, $220,890	93.1	$140,816	1,870
56	San Antonio, TX	$130,370	$79,880, $213,820	91.5	$142,481	1,650
57	Tucson, AZ	$128,730	$85,250, $203,040	95.4	$134,937	400
58	Las Vegas, NV	$128,350	$77,230, $257,400	109	$117,752	1,070
59	Reno, NV	$127,970	$77,160, $225,330	106.5	$120,160	300
60	Birmingham, AL	$127,080	$77,180, $215,000	90.4	$140,575	620
61	Greenville, SC	$126,550	$74,030, $222,820	90.1	$140,455	480
62	Tulsa, OK	$124,760	$78,090, $203,440	86.8	$143,733	460
63	Albany, NY	$124,540	$80,270, $213,570	100.7	$123,674	920
64	Lexington, KY	$122,850	$79,960, $207,160	91.3	$134,556	270
65	Louisville, KY	$122,360	$74,380, $195,970	90.2	$135,654	730
66	Albuquerque, NM	$121,990	$80,950, $205,090	94	$129,777	430
67	New Orleans, LA	$116,350	$81,150, $201,780	95.9	$121,324	350
68	Oklahoma City, OK	$115,770	$75,430, $200,250	86.5	$133,838	830
69	Boise, ID	$115,360	$82,250, $213,800	102.1	$112,987	550
70	Little Rock, AR	$103,060	$61,170, $188,180	88.2	$116,848	400

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Human Resources Manager paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Memphis, TN	$164,952	$138,560	84
2	Charlotte, NC	$164,354	$158,930	96.7
3	Atlanta, GA	$162,550	$161,250	99.2
4	Buffalo, NY	$162,357	$150,180	92.5
5	Rochester, NY	$158,224	$146,990	92.9
6	Detroit, MI	$157,708	$149,980	95.1
7	Wichita, KS	$157,202	$132,050	84
8	Denver, CO	$151,543	$170,940	112.8
9	Spokane, WA	$150,975	$147,050	97.4
10	Indianapolis, IN	$150,688	$135,770	90.1
11	Minneapolis, MN	$150,085	$159,390	106.2
12	Richmond, VA	$149,060	$152,190	102.1
13	St. Louis, MO	$148,756	$133,880	90
14	Des Moines, IA	$148,060	$138,140	93.3
15	Kansas City, MO	$147,683	$140,890	95.4
16	Houston, TX	$147,264	$142,110	96.5
17	Knoxville, TN	$146,401	$132,200	90.3
18	Chicago, IL	$146,104	$156,770	107.3
19	Greensboro, NC	$146,024	$133,320	91.3
20	Cincinnati, OH	$144,814	$132,070	91.2
21	Colorado Springs, CO	$144,670	$151,180	104.5
22	Phoenix, AZ	$144,598	$145,610	100.7
23	Raleigh, NC	$144,479	$144,190	99.8
24	Omaha, NE	$143,813	$132,020	91.8
25	Tulsa, OK	$143,733	$124,760	86.8
26	Pittsburgh, PA	$142,676	$131,690	92.3
27	San Antonio, TX	$142,481	$130,370	91.5
28	Tampa, FL	$140,964	$140,400	99.6
29	Jacksonville, FL	$140,852	$133,950	95.1
30	Columbus, OH	$140,816	$131,100	93.1
31	Birmingham, AL	$140,575	$127,080	90.4
32	Hartford, CT	$140,480	$158,180	112.6
33	Greenville, SC	$140,455	$126,550	90.1
34	Milwaukee, WI	$140,175	$136,530	97.4
35	Bridgeport, CT	$139,047	$191,190	137.5
36	Bakersfield, CA	$137,306	$138,130	100.6
37	Providence, RI	$136,759	$163,290	119.4
38	Austin, TX	$136,573	$140,670	103
39	Fresno, CA	$135,716	$143,180	105.5
40	Louisville, KY	$135,654	$122,360	90.2
41	Madison, WI	$135,530	$140,680	103.8
42	Dallas, TX	$135,341	$140,890	104.1
43	Tucson, AZ	$134,937	$128,730	95.4
44	Nashville, TN	$134,826	$135,230	100.3
45	Lexington, KY	$134,556	$122,850	91.3
46	Oklahoma City, OK	$133,838	$115,770	86.5
47	Orlando, FL	$132,134	$136,230	103.1
48	Salt Lake City, UT	$131,775	$133,620	101.4
49	Philadelphia, PA	$130,481	$154,490	118.4
50	Albuquerque, NM	$129,777	$121,990	94
51	Baltimore, MD	$128,170	$146,370	114.2
52	Sacramento, CA	$124,587	$155,360	124.7
53	Albany, NY	$123,674	$124,540	100.7
54	Boston, MA	$121,624	$184,990	152.1
55	New Orleans, LA	$121,324	$116,350	95.9
56	Reno, NV	$120,160	$127,970	106.5
57	Las Vegas, NV	$117,752	$128,350	109
58	Little Rock, AR	$116,848	$103,060	88.2
59	San Francisco, CA	$116,559	$209,340	179.6
60	Washington, DC	$116,466	$177,960	152.8
61	Miami, FL	$116,117	$142,940	123.1
62	Seattle, WA	$114,699	$171,360	149.4
63	Portland, OR	$114,450	$148,900	130.1
64	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$113,570	$139,010	122.4
65	Boise, ID	$112,987	$115,360	102.1
66	San Jose, CA	$112,594	$220,460	195.8
67	Anchorage, AK	$106,677	$135,480	127
68	San Diego, CA	$101,866	$163,190	160.2
69	Los Angeles, CA	$101,446	$168,400	166
70	New York, NY	$98,878	$185,100	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Human Resources Manager salary at $220,460. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Memphis, TN offers the most purchasing power at $164,952 adjusted.

The national median Human Resources Manager salary is $144,572 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $103,060 to $220,460 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.