Human Resources Specialists Salary in California
The median for human resources specialists in California is $83,500 a year, somewhat above the national $75,940 (+10%); the state ranks 6th of 51 states by median. Human Resources Specialists earn 43% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Nevada and Arizona range from $71,390 in Arizona to $78,060 in Oregon. California employs 104,000 human resources specialists, 5.71 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.97 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.97
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.71
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for human resources specialists, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $53.91 | $112,140 | $66,260 | $186,570 | 7,970 | 7.02 | 1.20 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49.59 | $103,140 | $61,500 | $171,420 | 16,420 | 6.92 | 1.18 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $40.72 | $84,690 | $59,060 | $135,020 | 450 | 4.59 | 0.78 |
| Napa, CA | $40.58 | $84,400 | $55,550 | $136,560 | 310 | 3.95 | 0.67 |
| Vallejo, CA | $39.98 | $83,160 | $59,730 | $136,220 | 650 | 4.49 | 0.76 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $39.20 | $81,540 | $50,090 | $130,920 | 920 | 4.47 | 0.76 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $39.09 | $81,300 | $51,780 | $140,130 | 9,110 | 5.93 | 1.01 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $38.92 | $80,950 | $51,270 | $132,290 | 5,360 | 4.96 | 0.85 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $38.73 | $80,560 | $51,250 | $135,780 | 1,710 | 5.28 | 0.90 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $38.63 | $80,340 | $57,490 | $134,950 | 870 | 4.32 | 0.74 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $38.57 | $80,220 | $51,730 | $134,130 | 36,850 | 5.88 | 1.00 |
| Salinas, CA | $38.51 | $80,100 | $51,630 | $135,110 | 630 | 3.38 | 0.58 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $37.51 | $78,020 | $58,540 | $124,940 | 610 | 5.02 | 0.86 |
| Modesto, CA | $37.06 | $77,070 | $48,890 | $120,330 | 730 | 3.75 | 0.64 |
| Merced, CA | $36.93 | $76,820 | $49,610 | $118,050 | 280 | 3.50 | 0.60 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $36.87 | $76,700 | $47,980 | $121,660 | 1,240 | 3.67 | 0.62 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $36.81 | $76,570 | $48,040 | $126,110 | 7,210 | 4.20 | 0.72 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $36.81 | $76,560 | $48,640 | $126,280 | 1,160 | 3.99 | 0.68 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $36.66 | $76,250 | $52,250 | $113,010 | 110 | 2.19 | 0.37 |
| Yuba City, CA | $35.91 | $74,680 | $49,470 | $114,760 | 180 | 3.61 | 0.62 |
| Fresno, CA | $35.66 | $74,170 | $46,860 | $118,880 | 1,770 | 3.71 | 0.63 |
| Visalia, CA | $35.60 | $74,050 | $47,740 | $117,410 | 580 | 3.40 | 0.58 |
| Chico, CA | $35.54 | $73,910 | $47,820 | $120,770 | 310 | 3.92 | 0.67 |
| El Centro, CA | $34.60 | $71,970 | $46,660 | $115,350 | 220 | 3.38 | 0.58 |
| Redding, CA | $34.05 | $70,830 | $47,930 | $117,950 | 250 | 3.51 | 0.60 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $36.47 | $75,860 | $50,030 | $121,930 | 210 | 3.31 | 0.56 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $36.32 | $75,550 | $52,620 | $113,680 | 410 | 3.70 | 0.63 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $35.65 | $74,160 | $47,620 | $124,330 | 380 | 3.68 | 0.63 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Human Resources Specialists (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- 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.