Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping (SOC 43-4161) earn a median $50,610 a year ($24.33 an hour) in the United States, with 90,220 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping do
Human resources assistants compile and keep personnel records. For each employee they log details including address, weekly pay, absences, sales or production totals, supervisors' reports, and when and why employment ended. They process, verify, and maintain personnel documentation covering staffing, recruitment, training, grievances, performance evaluations, classifications, and leaves of absence, and they gather records from other departments or employees. Assistants search employee files to answer inquiries and to provide information for personnel actions. They explain personnel policies, benefits, and procedures to employees and job applicants, answer questions about examinations, eligibility, salaries, and benefits, and help administer benefit programs and workers' compensation plans. Preparing and setting up new employee orientations is also part of the job, and some assistants prepare reports for employment records. Payroll and timekeeping clerks, who record time and compute pay, are excluded, and human resources specialists do professional rather than clerical work.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Assignment Clerk, Benefits Clerk, Benefits Coordinator, Benefits Technician, Civil Service Clerk.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.95 | $21.17 | $24.33 | $28.75 | $32.83 | $25.12 | 90,220 |
| Annual | $37,340 | $44,030 | $50,610 | $59,800 | $68,280 | $52,250 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.74 | $24.26 | $28.39 | $32.15 | $38.62 | $28.91 | 610 | 0.86 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $38,990 | $50,450 | $59,050 | $66,870 | $80,330 | $60,130 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $19.86 | $23.31 | $27.69 | $31.52 | $37.68 | $28.19 | 11,490 | 0.63 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $41,300 | $48,470 | $57,590 | $65,560 | $78,370 | $58,630 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.79 | $24.29 | $27.59 | $31.43 | $36.50 | $28.32 | 2,350 | 0.66 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $45,320 | $50,530 | $57,390 | $65,370 | $75,920 | $58,910 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $19.90 | $23.12 | $27.35 | $30.23 | $35.53 | $27.12 | 1,480 | 0.54 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $41,390 | $48,080 | $56,880 | $62,880 | $73,900 | $56,420 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $22.21 | $24.21 | $27.17 | $30.94 | $36.07 | $28.23 | 260 | 0.80 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $46,190 | $50,360 | $56,510 | $64,350 | $75,030 | $58,730 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.86 | $23.31 | $27.69 | $31.52 | $37.68 | $28.19 | 11,490 | 0.63 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $41,300 | $48,470 | $57,590 | $65,560 | $78,370 | $58,630 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $18.75 | $22.26 | $25.44 | $30.46 | $35.39 | $26.54 | 8,800 | 0.91 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $39,000 | $46,290 | $52,920 | $63,350 | $73,620 | $55,210 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.47 | $19.12 | $22.86 | $27.48 | $31.22 | $23.27 | 5,890 | 0.42 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $32,180 | $39,760 | $47,540 | $57,160 | $64,940 | $48,410 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.35 | $21.51 | $23.23 | $27.91 | $31.89 | $24.56 | 4,140 | 0.68 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $38,180 | $44,750 | $48,310 | $58,050 | $66,330 | $51,070 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $18.89 | $22.77 | $26.16 | $29.30 | $32.70 | $26.26 | 4,000 | 0.93 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $39,280 | $47,350 | $54,410 | $60,940 | $68,010 | $54,620 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $23.38 | $28.76 | $32.50 | $39.69 | $43.15 | $33.44 | 560 | 0.49 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $48,630 | $59,810 | $67,590 | $82,550 | $89,740 | $69,560 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $24.13 | $27.84 | $32.00 | $37.74 | $43.20 | $32.94 | 1,300 | 0.55 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $50,180 | $57,900 | $66,550 | $78,500 | $89,860 | $68,520 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $20.21 | $24.24 | $29.75 | $35.47 | $38.98 | $29.96 | 90 | 0.60 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $42,030 | $50,420 | $61,870 | $73,780 | $81,080 | $62,320 | ||||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Hourly | $16.75 | $22.51 | $29.62 | $33.89 | $37.83 | $28.16 | 60 | 0.61 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $34,840 | $46,820 | $61,600 | $70,490 | $78,680 | $58,560 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $17.48 | $23.48 | $29.51 | $32.23 | $37.48 | $28.70 | 40 | 0.54 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $36,370 | $48,840 | $61,390 | $67,050 | $77,960 | $59,690 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $19.01 | $22.89 | $27.33 | $31.17 | $36.20 | $27.43 | 7,640 | 0.81 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $39,550 | $47,600 | $56,850 | $64,830 | $75,300 | $57,050 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.15 | $22.94 | $27.69 | $31.05 | $37.64 | $27.82 | 3,890 | 0.62 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $37,760 | $47,710 | $57,600 | $64,590 | $78,280 | $57,860 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.84 | $22.08 | $23.84 | $28.39 | $32.76 | $25.29 | 2,920 | 0.65 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $39,190 | $45,920 | $49,590 | $59,050 | $68,130 | $52,600 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $22.56 | $23.76 | $27.25 | $29.03 | $32.55 | $27.10 | 2,350 | 1.21 | 2.08 |
| Annual | $46,930 | $49,420 | $56,670 | $60,380 | $67,690 | $56,360 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $19.10 | $22.02 | $25.07 | $28.85 | $33.52 | $25.80 | 1,630 | 0.40 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $39,730 | $45,810 | $52,150 | $60,010 | $69,730 | $53,670 | ||||
Top industries employing human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) employ 8.5% of human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping nationally (7,710 jobs) at a median $57,220 a year ($27.51 an hour), followed by Management of Companies and Enterprises (8.4%) and Employment Services (7.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 7,710 | 8.5% | $57,220 | $27.51 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 7,570 | 8.4% | $50,890 | $24.46 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 6,840 | 7.6% | $47,840 | $23.00 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 5,220 | 5.8% | $57,480 | $27.64 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 4,740 | 5.3% | $51,490 | $24.76 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (90,220). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $45,630 for human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping in May 2021 and $50,610 in May 2025, with employment of 102,770 and 90,220.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $45,630 | $21.94 | 102,770 |
| May 2022 | $45,930 | $22.08 | 103,680 |
| May 2023 | $47,710 | $22.94 | 101,440 |
| May 2024 | $49,440 | $23.77 | 92,580 |
| May 2025 | $50,610 | $24.33 | 90,220 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $28.39 | $59,050 | $38,990 | $80,330 | 610 | 0.86 | 1.49 |
| 2 | California profile | $27.69 | $57,590 | $41,300 | $78,370 | 11,490 | 0.63 | 1.09 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $27.59 | $57,390 | $45,320 | $75,920 | 2,350 | 0.66 | 1.14 |
| 4 | Maryland profile | $27.35 | $56,880 | $41,390 | $73,900 | 1,480 | 0.54 | 0.93 |
| 5 | Alaska profile | $27.17 | $56,510 | $46,190 | $75,030 | 260 | 0.80 | 1.37 |
| 6 | Rhode Island profile | $27.10 | $56,370 | $43,540 | $71,110 | 150 | 0.30 | 0.51 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $26.85 | $55,840 | $42,970 | $71,130 | 1,400 | 0.39 | 0.66 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $26.39 | $54,880 | $39,630 | $73,890 | 1,660 | 0.58 | 1.00 |
| 9 | Minnesota profile | $26.21 | $54,520 | $43,730 | $66,930 | 3,380 | 1.15 | 1.98 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $26.16 | $54,410 | $39,280 | $68,010 | 4,000 | 0.93 | 1.61 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $26.02 | $54,130 | $41,810 | $74,610 | 910 | 0.54 | 0.93 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | $25.75 | $53,550 | $43,920 | $66,230 | 1,050 | 0.54 | 0.92 |
| 13 | North Dakota profile | $25.48 | $53,000 | $38,860 | $64,290 | 110 | 0.26 | 0.45 |
| 14 | New York profile | $25.44 | $52,920 | $39,000 | $73,620 | 8,800 | 0.91 | 1.57 |
| 15 | Virginia profile | $24.98 | $51,950 | $38,690 | $69,640 | 2,160 | 0.53 | 0.91 |
| 16 | Vermont profile | $24.91 | $51,810 | $42,170 | $62,090 | 140 | 0.46 | 0.80 |
| 17 | Idaho profile | $24.89 | $51,770 | $41,680 | $64,080 | 280 | 0.33 | 0.56 |
| 18 | New Hampshire profile | $24.71 | $51,400 | $28,590 | $65,800 | 470 | 0.69 | 1.18 |
| 19 | Delaware profile | $24.45 | $50,850 | $40,800 | $66,190 | 290 | 0.59 | 1.02 |
| 20 | Kentucky profile | $24.23 | $50,400 | $37,200 | $64,220 | 1,240 | 0.62 | 1.07 |
| 21 | Montana profile | $24.07 | $50,070 | $38,450 | $62,690 | 140 | 0.27 | 0.46 |
| 22 | Maine profile | $23.90 | $49,710 | $38,100 | $64,740 | 490 | 0.76 | 1.31 |
| 23 | Wyoming profile | $23.87 | $49,660 | $36,230 | $64,940 | 90 | 0.30 | 0.52 |
| 24 | New Mexico profile | $23.87 | $49,650 | $38,100 | $59,650 | 620 | 0.71 | 1.22 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $23.86 | $49,630 | $36,070 | $62,610 | 660 | 0.46 | 0.79 |
| 26 | Hawaii profile | $23.69 | $49,260 | $40,180 | $67,650 | 450 | 0.71 | 1.23 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.46 | $48,800 | $37,780 | $63,810 | 2,700 | 0.45 | 0.77 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $23.41 | $48,690 | $36,710 | $63,040 | 1,890 | 0.64 | 1.11 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $23.31 | $48,490 | $35,770 | $63,280 | 920 | 0.59 | 1.02 |
| 30 | Florida profile | $23.23 | $48,330 | $36,810 | $62,880 | 3,210 | 0.32 | 0.56 |
| 31 | Illinois profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $38,180 | $66,330 | 4,140 | 0.68 | 1.17 |
| 32 | Ohio profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $35,790 | $65,100 | 2,770 | 0.50 | 0.86 |
| 33 | Michigan profile | $23.20 | $48,250 | $37,940 | $64,190 | 1,890 | 0.43 | 0.74 |
| 34 | North Carolina profile | $23.17 | $48,190 | $35,270 | $62,780 | 2,790 | 0.57 | 0.97 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $23.06 | $47,960 | $37,740 | $65,090 | 1,090 | 0.37 | 0.64 |
| 36 | Nevada profile | $23.03 | $47,900 | $36,500 | $62,940 | 1,390 | 0.90 | 1.55 |
| 37 | Arizona profile | $23.03 | $47,890 | $38,250 | $61,090 | 1,490 | 0.46 | 0.79 |
| 38 | Indiana profile | $23.00 | $47,850 | $36,020 | $61,610 | 1,870 | 0.58 | 1.00 |
| 39 | Texas profile | $22.86 | $47,540 | $32,180 | $64,940 | 5,890 | 0.42 | 0.72 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | $22.83 | $47,490 | $33,160 | $63,920 | 750 | 0.39 | 0.67 |
| 41 | Nebraska profile | $22.66 | $47,130 | $37,380 | $60,010 | 440 | 0.43 | 0.75 |
| 42 | Georgia profile | $22.52 | $46,830 | $34,590 | $63,020 | 2,510 | 0.51 | 0.89 |
| 43 | Arkansas profile | $22.21 | $46,190 | $34,100 | $61,840 | 720 | 0.56 | 0.96 |
| 44 | Utah profile | $22.01 | $45,790 | $37,340 | $63,440 | 700 | 0.41 | 0.70 |
| 45 | Tennessee profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $35,740 | $59,990 | 3,930 | 1.20 | 2.07 |
| 46 | South Carolina profile | $21.78 | $45,300 | $33,620 | $58,410 | 1,190 | 0.52 | 0.89 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $21.71 | $45,150 | $32,820 | $57,300 | 190 | 0.41 | 0.71 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $21.61 | $44,950 | $35,270 | $63,130 | 600 | 0.35 | 0.60 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $21.53 | $44,780 | $29,680 | $64,560 | 1,010 | 0.87 | 1.50 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $20.67 | $42,990 | $34,090 | $58,510 | 480 | 0.69 | 1.18 |
| 51 | Alabama profile | $20.26 | $42,140 | $31,520 | $61,460 | 960 | 0.45 | 0.78 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-4161 Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-4161, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-4161.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.