Human Resources Specialists
Human Resources Specialists (SOC 13-1071) earn a median $75,940 a year ($36.51 an hour) in the United States, with 912,430 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What human resources specialists do
Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers, and some also handle other personnel work across several human resources areas. Specific tasks include interpreting and explaining policies, procedures, and employment laws to managers and workers, hiring employees and processing the related paperwork, and keeping current on equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements. They prepare and maintain employment records for events like hiring, promotion, and termination. Titles include recruiter, employment specialist, career specialist, and personnel analyst. Specialists in pay, benefits, and job analysis and specialists in training are separate occupations. It also differs from human resources managers, who direct the department, and from labor relations specialists, who handle disputes and bargaining. They also address employee relations issues such as harassment allegations and work complaints, and they tell applicants about duties, compensation, benefits, and working conditions.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Business Intelligence Engineer, Career Development Specialist, Career Development Technician, Career Specialist, Certification Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.69 | $28.18 | $36.51 | $47.78 | $61.89 | $39.42 | 912,430 |
| Annual | $47,180 | $58,610 | $75,940 | $99,380 | $128,720 | $81,990 | ||
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 specialists 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 | $31.39 | $39.55 | $53.35 | $71.49 | $81.89 | $55.78 | 6,910 | 9.84 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $65,280 | $82,270 | $110,970 | $148,700 | $170,330 | $116,020 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $27.64 | $32.23 | $41.17 | $55.32 | $69.77 | $45.87 | 27,300 | 7.50 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $57,500 | $67,050 | $85,630 | $115,060 | $145,130 | $95,400 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $27.42 | $33.27 | $40.65 | $53.15 | $65.42 | $45.19 | 22,770 | 6.41 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $57,030 | $69,200 | $84,550 | $110,550 | $136,070 | $94,000 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $26.94 | $31.38 | $40.57 | $56.91 | $72.11 | $45.69 | 54,610 | 5.64 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $56,040 | $65,260 | $84,380 | $118,380 | $149,990 | $95,040 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $26.16 | $31.14 | $40.34 | $53.62 | $67.02 | $44.32 | 15,530 | 5.62 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $54,410 | $64,760 | $83,910 | $111,530 | $139,400 | $92,180 | ||||
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 | $25.37 | $31.76 | $40.14 | $56.46 | $72.79 | $45.76 | 104,000 | 5.71 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $52,770 | $66,060 | $83,500 | $117,430 | $151,410 | $95,180 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $20.87 | $25.43 | $33.14 | $43.65 | $56.28 | $36.02 | 84,930 | 6.04 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $43,410 | $52,900 | $68,920 | $90,790 | $117,060 | $74,920 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $21.60 | $24.62 | $31.93 | $43.44 | $55.73 | $35.87 | 62,730 | 6.32 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $44,920 | $51,200 | $66,410 | $90,350 | $115,920 | $74,610 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $26.94 | $31.38 | $40.57 | $56.91 | $72.11 | $45.69 | 54,610 | 5.64 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $56,040 | $65,260 | $84,380 | $118,380 | $149,990 | $95,040 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $22.41 | $26.95 | $33.87 | $43.71 | $57.62 | $37.16 | 36,960 | 6.09 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $46,610 | $56,050 | $70,450 | $90,920 | $119,850 | $77,290 | ||||
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 | $31.86 | $40.94 | $53.91 | $73.78 | $89.70 | $58.79 | 7,970 | 7.02 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $66,260 | $85,150 | $112,140 | $153,460 | $186,570 | $122,290 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.57 | $38.38 | $49.59 | $65.40 | $82.41 | $54.58 | 16,420 | 6.92 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $61,500 | $79,820 | $103,140 | $136,040 | $171,420 | $113,530 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.30 | $36.57 | $48.48 | $63.23 | $76.41 | $50.76 | 24,450 | 7.80 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $60,940 | $76,070 | $100,830 | $131,510 | $158,940 | $105,580 | ||||
| Lexington Park, MD | Hourly | $28.65 | $35.09 | $47.20 | $61.33 | $76.25 | $50.11 | 330 | 4.71 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $59,590 | $72,990 | $98,170 | $127,560 | $158,600 | $104,240 | ||||
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | Hourly | $25.56 | $33.29 | $45.44 | $54.04 | $60.79 | $44.73 | 440 | 12.21 | 2.08 |
| Annual | $53,170 | $69,240 | $94,520 | $112,400 | $126,440 | $93,040 | ||||
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 | $27.95 | $33.76 | $43.16 | $59.68 | $74.75 | $47.16 | 52,370 | 5.52 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $58,140 | $70,210 | $89,780 | $124,130 | $155,480 | $98,100 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $24.87 | $30.49 | $38.57 | $50.75 | $64.49 | $43.16 | 36,850 | 5.88 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $51,730 | $63,410 | $80,220 | $105,560 | $134,130 | $89,780 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $19.05 | $24.91 | $33.99 | $44.47 | $57.78 | $36.16 | 29,190 | 7.21 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $39,630 | $51,820 | $70,700 | $92,490 | $120,190 | $75,220 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.84 | $29.55 | $37.60 | $48.34 | $60.20 | $39.99 | 26,470 | 5.87 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $49,580 | $61,470 | $78,210 | $100,550 | $125,220 | $83,190 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.30 | $36.57 | $48.48 | $63.23 | $76.41 | $50.76 | 24,450 | 7.80 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $60,940 | $76,070 | $100,830 | $131,510 | $158,940 | $105,580 | ||||
Top industries employing human resources specialists
Employment Services employ 13.6% of human resources specialists nationally (124,520 jobs) at a median $60,550 a year ($29.11 an hour), followed by Management of Companies and Enterprises (8.1%) and Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (4.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 124,520 | 13.6% | $60,550 | $29.11 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 73,460 | 8.1% | $79,920 | $38.42 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 37,880 | 4.2% | $108,180 | $52.01 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 35,760 | 3.9% | $79,530 | $38.24 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 33,520 | 3.7% | $77,340 | $37.19 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (912,430). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $62,290 for human resources specialists in May 2021 and $75,940 in May 2025, with employment of 740,830 and 912,430.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $62,290 | $29.95 | 740,830 |
| May 2022 | $64,240 | $30.88 | 835,360 |
| May 2023 | $67,650 | $32.53 | 895,970 |
| May 2024 | $72,910 | $35.05 | 917,460 |
| May 2025 | $75,940 | $36.51 | 912,430 |
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 | $53.35 | $110,970 | $65,280 | $170,330 | 6,910 | 9.84 | 1.68 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $41.17 | $85,630 | $57,500 | $145,130 | 27,300 | 7.50 | 1.28 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $40.65 | $84,550 | $57,030 | $136,070 | 22,770 | 6.41 | 1.09 |
| 4 | New York profile | $40.57 | $84,380 | $56,040 | $149,990 | 54,610 | 5.64 | 0.96 |
| 5 | Maryland profile | $40.34 | $83,910 | $54,410 | $139,400 | 15,530 | 5.62 | 0.96 |
| 6 | California profile | $40.14 | $83,500 | $52,770 | $151,410 | 104,000 | 5.71 | 0.97 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $39.85 | $82,890 | $51,000 | $134,810 | 9,010 | 5.31 | 0.91 |
| 8 | Virginia profile | $39.47 | $82,090 | $48,530 | $136,660 | 28,540 | 6.95 | 1.18 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $38.86 | $80,840 | $51,290 | $133,850 | 19,450 | 6.77 | 1.15 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $38.80 | $80,690 | $56,420 | $132,770 | 21,690 | 5.06 | 0.86 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $37.87 | $78,760 | $50,330 | $127,060 | 17,240 | 5.84 | 1.00 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | $37.53 | $78,060 | $51,480 | $126,280 | 10,620 | 5.40 | 0.92 |
| 13 | Vermont profile | $37.40 | $77,800 | $55,510 | $114,090 | 1,270 | 4.19 | 0.71 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $37.36 | $77,700 | $50,960 | $132,030 | 2,720 | 5.61 | 0.96 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $37.29 | $77,560 | $51,270 | $128,250 | 3,320 | 6.63 | 1.13 |
| 16 | Alaska profile | $37.02 | $76,990 | $49,910 | $114,330 | 1,420 | 4.37 | 0.74 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $36.93 | $76,820 | $48,980 | $123,940 | 35,430 | 5.81 | 0.99 |
| 18 | North Dakota profile | $36.36 | $75,630 | $50,520 | $116,990 | 1,710 | 3.98 | 0.68 |
| 19 | Hawaii profile | $35.46 | $73,750 | $49,110 | $113,320 | 2,570 | 4.09 | 0.70 |
| 20 | North Carolina profile | $35.13 | $73,070 | $46,760 | $126,000 | 31,140 | 6.30 | 1.07 |
| 21 | Utah profile | $34.49 | $71,750 | $46,800 | $123,780 | 9,900 | 5.70 | 0.97 |
| 22 | Maine profile | $34.44 | $71,630 | $45,850 | $105,840 | 3,020 | 4.71 | 0.80 |
| 23 | Nevada profile | $34.43 | $71,610 | $47,150 | $119,050 | 6,520 | 4.20 | 0.72 |
| 24 | Arizona profile | $34.32 | $71,390 | $47,290 | $112,900 | 20,230 | 6.24 | 1.06 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $34.07 | $70,870 | $47,340 | $115,920 | 7,560 | 5.26 | 0.90 |
| 26 | New Hampshire profile | $34.06 | $70,840 | $47,700 | $122,560 | 4,270 | 6.25 | 1.07 |
| 27 | Georgia profile | $33.93 | $70,570 | $44,580 | $125,540 | 32,110 | 6.57 | 1.12 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $33.91 | $70,540 | $47,860 | $105,270 | 17,360 | 5.90 | 1.01 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $33.87 | $70,450 | $46,610 | $119,850 | 36,960 | 6.09 | 1.04 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $33.74 | $70,180 | $45,950 | $118,340 | 33,500 | 6.04 | 1.03 |
| 31 | Michigan profile | $33.42 | $69,520 | $46,580 | $110,710 | 25,520 | 5.80 | 0.99 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $33.18 | $69,010 | $43,690 | $107,940 | 10,900 | 5.45 | 0.93 |
| 33 | Texas profile | $33.14 | $68,920 | $43,410 | $117,060 | 84,930 | 6.04 | 1.03 |
| 34 | New Mexico profile | $32.72 | $68,050 | $46,620 | $117,170 | 4,090 | 4.69 | 0.80 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $32.50 | $67,590 | $50,670 | $104,550 | 1,340 | 2.92 | 0.50 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $32.39 | $67,370 | $45,630 | $109,990 | 21,460 | 6.54 | 1.12 |
| 37 | Missouri profile | $32.21 | $66,990 | $44,730 | $110,660 | 17,650 | 6.01 | 1.02 |
| 38 | Wyoming profile | $32.20 | $66,970 | $44,630 | $115,790 | 1,000 | 3.55 | 0.60 |
| 39 | West Virginia profile | $32.14 | $66,860 | $44,490 | $115,920 | 3,130 | 4.47 | 0.76 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | $32.07 | $66,710 | $45,400 | $110,640 | 7,930 | 5.09 | 0.87 |
| 41 | Florida profile | $31.93 | $66,410 | $44,920 | $115,920 | 62,730 | 6.32 | 1.08 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $31.54 | $65,600 | $44,810 | $106,830 | 17,110 | 5.35 | 0.91 |
| 43 | South Carolina profile | $31.43 | $65,370 | $46,070 | $118,590 | 13,720 | 5.95 | 1.01 |
| 44 | Idaho profile | $31.25 | $64,990 | $43,820 | $102,490 | 3,930 | 4.59 | 0.78 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | $31.22 | $64,940 | $41,890 | $112,880 | 11,080 | 5.24 | 0.89 |
| 46 | Montana profile | $30.67 | $63,790 | $44,990 | $108,180 | 2,340 | 4.57 | 0.78 |
| 47 | Nebraska profile | $29.77 | $61,930 | $42,730 | $98,480 | 7,220 | 7.05 | 1.20 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $29.63 | $61,630 | $39,990 | $103,460 | 9,370 | 5.49 | 0.94 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $29.47 | $61,300 | $39,170 | $100,420 | 7,240 | 3.74 | 0.64 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $28.99 | $60,300 | $38,500 | $108,950 | 4,850 | 4.17 | 0.71 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $26.45 | $55,010 | $32,030 | $99,990 | 6,230 | 4.78 | 0.81 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (13-1070), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Business and Financial Operations 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 13-1071 Human Resources Specialists.
- 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 13-1071, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-1071.00, 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.