Human Resources Managers Salary 2025: $144,572 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$144,572 per year is the national median annual wage for human resources managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $70/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $124,990 to $397,910. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 11-3121.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $144,572
- Median hourly wage
- $70/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $172,659
- Total US employment
- 155,470
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($220,460)
- BLS SOC code
- 11-3121
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for human resources managers (BLS SOC 11-3121) is $144,572 per year — about $70/hour — across 155,470 workers in 70 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $172,659 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $95,870 while the 90th earns $267,890 — a 2.8× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most human resources managers land in the $120,908–$213,177 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median at $220,460, versus $103,060 in Little Rock, AR, AR — a 114% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Memphis, TN delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($164,952 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
For this Business / Management role, OEWS reports base salary; the performance bonuses that make up a large slice of senior human resources manager pay are excluded, so real take-home for experienced managers typically runs above the figures shown.
Human Resources Managers Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what human resources managers earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $95,870 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $120,908 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $158,464 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $213,177 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $267,890 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Human Resources Managers salaries range from $103,060 to $220,460 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Human Resources Managers Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $124,990 | $163,178 | $220,460 | $309,185 | $397,910 | $112,594 | 2,800 |
| San Francisco, CA | $123,950 | $158,106 | $209,340 | $266,595 | $323,850 | $116,559 | 4,960 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $116,020 | $146,088 | $191,190 | $255,015 | $318,840 | $139,047 | 990 |
| New York, NY | $107,300 | $138,420 | $185,100 | $254,460 | $323,820 | $98,878 | 18,480 |
| Boston, MA | $99,990 | $133,990 | $184,990 | $251,340 | $317,690 | $121,624 | 6,480 |
| Washington, DC | $111,720 | $138,216 | $177,960 | $230,145 | $282,330 | $116,466 | 6,280 |
| Seattle, WA | $111,060 | $135,180 | $171,360 | $231,420 | $291,480 | $114,699 | 3,200 |
| Denver, CO | $109,540 | $134,100 | $170,940 | $224,235 | $277,530 | $151,543 | 2,540 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $98,810 | $126,646 | $168,400 | $234,070 | $299,740 | $101,446 | 9,070 |
| Providence, RI | $103,380 | $127,344 | $163,290 | $214,150 | $265,010 | $136,759 | 730 |
| San Diego, CA | $97,050 | $123,506 | $163,190 | $222,795 | $282,400 | $101,866 | 2,300 |
| Atlanta, GA | $95,080 | $121,548 | $161,250 | $224,020 | $286,790 | $162,550 | 5,300 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $101,350 | $124,566 | $159,390 | $205,100 | $250,810 | $150,085 | 3,500 |
| Charlotte, NC | $99,310 | $123,158 | $158,930 | $225,610 | $292,290 | $164,354 | 2,310 |
| Hartford, CT | $102,860 | $124,988 | $158,180 | $206,585 | $254,990 | $140,480 | 1,130 |
| Chicago, IL | $93,230 | $118,646 | $156,770 | $213,460 | $270,150 | $146,104 | 10,810 |
| Sacramento, CA | $86,210 | $113,870 | $155,360 | $225,575 | $295,790 | $124,587 | 1,300 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $91,650 | $116,786 | $154,490 | $208,210 | $261,930 | $130,481 | 4,190 |
| Richmond, VA | $99,800 | $120,756 | $152,190 | $203,040 | $253,890 | $149,060 | 960 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $83,810 | $110,758 | $151,180 | $197,505 | $243,830 | $144,670 | 250 |
| Buffalo, NY | $85,030 | $111,090 | $150,180 | $192,975 | $235,770 | $162,357 | 590 |
| Detroit, MI | $97,340 | $118,396 | $149,980 | $191,385 | $232,790 | $157,708 | 3,090 |
| Portland, OR | $100,790 | $120,034 | $148,900 | $203,765 | $258,630 | $114,450 | 2,010 |
| Spokane, WA | $105,470 | $122,102 | $147,050 | $182,780 | $218,510 | $150,975 | 250 |
| Rochester, NY | $92,050 | $114,026 | $146,990 | $197,150 | $247,310 | $158,224 | 680 |
| Baltimore, MD | $87,150 | $110,838 | $146,370 | $189,225 | $232,080 | $128,170 | 1,980 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $90,750 | $112,694 | $145,610 | $187,480 | $229,350 | $144,598 | 3,160 |
| Raleigh, NC | $93,220 | $113,608 | $144,190 | $204,585 | $264,980 | $144,479 | 1,080 |
| Fresno, CA | $89,920 | $111,224 | $143,180 | $177,390 | $211,600 | $135,716 | 400 |
| Miami, FL | $83,470 | $107,258 | $142,940 | $184,570 | $226,200 | $116,117 | 3,550 |
| Houston, TX | $88,380 | $109,872 | $142,110 | $183,130 | $224,150 | $147,264 | 5,890 |
| Dallas, TX | $89,990 | $110,350 | $140,890 | $186,715 | $232,540 | $135,341 | 7,970 |
| Kansas City, MO | $91,780 | $111,424 | $140,890 | $180,730 | $220,570 | $147,683 | 1,380 |
| Madison, WI | $92,950 | $112,042 | $140,680 | $173,800 | $206,920 | $135,530 | 660 |
| Austin, TX | $85,840 | $107,772 | $140,670 | $197,815 | $254,960 | $136,573 | 2,730 |
| Tampa, FL | $80,430 | $104,418 | $140,400 | $190,245 | $240,090 | $140,964 | 1,830 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $59,940 | $91,568 | $139,010 | $185,410 | $231,810 | $113,570 | 1,630 |
| Memphis, TN | $86,900 | $107,564 | $138,560 | $179,170 | $219,780 | $164,952 | 760 |
| Des Moines, IA | $91,450 | $110,126 | $138,140 | $185,915 | $233,690 | $148,060 | 520 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $87,960 | $108,028 | $138,130 | $177,335 | $216,540 | $137,306 | 240 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $96,770 | $112,674 | $136,530 | $180,770 | $225,010 | $140,175 | 1,190 |
| Orlando, FL | $80,300 | $102,672 | $136,230 | $189,050 | $241,870 | $132,134 | 1,530 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $89,310 | $107,894 | $135,770 | $177,860 | $219,950 | $150,688 | 1,300 |
| Anchorage, AK | $92,020 | $109,404 | $135,480 | $173,655 | $211,830 | $106,677 | 320 |
| Nashville, TN | $89,130 | $107,570 | $135,230 | $180,235 | $225,240 | $134,826 | 1,840 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $69,630 | $95,358 | $133,950 | $178,500 | $223,050 | $140,852 | 1,040 |
| St. Louis, MO | $84,630 | $104,330 | $133,880 | $190,615 | $247,350 | $148,756 | 1,940 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $82,990 | $103,242 | $133,620 | $179,050 | $224,480 | $131,775 | 1,290 |
| Greensboro, NC | $88,400 | $106,368 | $133,320 | $182,045 | $230,770 | $146,024 | 420 |
| Knoxville, TN | $83,290 | $102,854 | $132,200 | $182,920 | $233,640 | $146,401 | 530 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $81,440 | $101,692 | $132,070 | $178,005 | $223,940 | $144,814 | 1,920 |
| Wichita, KS | $92,340 | $108,224 | $132,050 | $172,485 | $212,920 | $157,202 | 220 |
| Omaha, NE | $85,570 | $104,150 | $132,020 | $171,895 | $211,770 | $143,813 | 1,020 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $78,400 | $99,716 | $131,690 | $173,255 | $214,820 | $142,676 | 1,600 |
| Columbus, OH | $89,150 | $105,930 | $131,100 | $175,995 | $220,890 | $140,816 | 1,870 |
| San Antonio, TX | $79,880 | $100,076 | $130,370 | $172,095 | $213,820 | $142,481 | 1,650 |
| Tucson, AZ | $85,250 | $102,642 | $128,730 | $165,885 | $203,040 | $134,937 | 400 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $77,230 | $97,678 | $128,350 | $192,875 | $257,400 | $117,752 | 1,070 |
| Reno, NV | $77,160 | $97,484 | $127,970 | $176,650 | $225,330 | $120,160 | 300 |
| Birmingham, AL | $77,180 | $97,140 | $127,080 | $171,040 | $215,000 | $140,575 | 620 |
| Greenville, SC | $74,030 | $95,038 | $126,550 | $174,685 | $222,820 | $140,455 | 480 |
| Tulsa, OK | $78,090 | $96,758 | $124,760 | $164,100 | $203,440 | $143,733 | 460 |
| Albany, NY | $80,270 | $97,978 | $124,540 | $169,055 | $213,570 | $123,674 | 920 |
| Lexington, KY | $79,960 | $97,116 | $122,850 | $165,005 | $207,160 | $134,556 | 270 |
| Louisville, KY | $74,380 | $93,572 | $122,360 | $159,165 | $195,970 | $135,654 | 730 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $80,950 | $97,366 | $121,990 | $163,540 | $205,090 | $129,777 | 430 |
| New Orleans, LA | $81,150 | $95,230 | $116,350 | $159,065 | $201,780 | $121,324 | 350 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $75,430 | $91,566 | $115,770 | $158,010 | $200,250 | $133,838 | 830 |
| Boise, ID | $82,250 | $95,494 | $115,360 | $164,580 | $213,800 | $112,987 | 550 |
| Little Rock, AR | $61,170 | $77,926 | $103,060 | $145,620 | $188,180 | $116,848 | 400 |
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Human Resources Manager & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Human Resources Manager, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Human Resources Manager prevailing wage in San Jose, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Human Resources Manager is $144,572 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $172,659. Salaries range from $103,060 to $220,460 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level human resources managers (10th percentile) earn about $95,870 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $144,572, $213,177 at the 75th percentile, and $267,890 for the top 10% of earners.
The median human resources manager earns about $70/hour, based on the $144,572 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median for Human Resources Manager at $220,460, well above the national median of $144,572. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 155,470 Human Resources Manager positions in the US across 70 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile human resources manager earns $267,890 — about 2.8× the $95,870 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.