State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Human Resources Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Human Resources Managers is $149,280 a year ($71.77/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% through 2034, with about 17,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-3121ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $149,280
- Projected growth
- +5.0%
- Openings a year
- 17,900
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Employee Relations Manager, HR Admin Director (Human Resources Administration Director), HR Director (Human Resources Director), HR Manager (Human Resources Manager), HR Ops Manager (Human Resources Operations Manager), HR VP (Human Resources Vice President).
How much do Human Resources Managers make?
10th percentile$88,200
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$111,110
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$149,280
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$199,290
Upper quartile
90th percentile$267,810
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $149,280 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $71.77/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $164,230 |
| People employed | 220,660 |
Versus all US occupations
At $149,280, Human Resources Managers earn 193% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $98,300 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 18% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $267,810 or more while the bottom 10% earn $88,200, a gap of 3.0×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 95% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($184,350), but once local prices are taken into account Massachusetts leads at $171,885 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Human Resources Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $184,350 | $167,742 | 2,250 |
| Massachusetts | $181,780 | $171,885 | 7,540 |
| New York | $176,650 | $163,685 | 17,920 |
| New Jersey | $172,440 | $158,485 | 6,400 |
| California | $170,080 | $153,613 | 27,450 |
| Rhode Island | $167,110 | $163,385 | 530 |
| Colorado | $166,400 | $161,472 | 3,620 |
| Virginia | $165,980 | $164,168 | 5,770 |
| Connecticut | $165,930 | $160,149 | 3,020 |
| Washington | $165,530 | $154,682 | 4,560 |
Is Human Resources Manager a growing career?
Human Resources Managers5.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+5.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Human Resources Managers to change 5.0% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 11,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,900 openings are projected each year, 8.1% of the 221,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for human resources managers is expected to be strong over the projections decade as more of these workers are needed to help meet strategic organizational priorities.
Some companies may outsource human resources functions to organizations that provide these services, rather than directly employing human resources managers.
How to become a Human Resources Manager
Candidates typically need a combination of education and several years of related work experience to become a human resources manager. Although most positions require a bachelor’s degree, some require a master’s degree.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as human resources managers.
- Bachelor's Degree81.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4.6%
- Master's Degree4.6%
What does a Human Resources Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization. They oversee the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of new staff; consult with top executives on strategic planning; and serve as a link between an organization’s management and its employees.
Day-to-day tasks
- Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
- Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
- Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
- Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
- Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
- Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
- Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.
- Administer compensation, benefits, and performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where human resources managers work
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 15% |
|---|---|
| Management of companies and enterprises | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 9% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 9% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 8% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.4/5
- Reading Comprehension4.3/5
- Speaking4.3/5
- Writing4.1/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Learning Strategies3.8/5
Transferable skills
- Management of Personnel Resources4.3/5
- Coordination4.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Time Management4.0/5
- Negotiation3.9/5
- Instructing3.9/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Time accounting software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Human Resources Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.3
Investigative2.3
Artistic1.5
Socialprimary3.9
Enterprisingprimary7.0
Conventionalprimary5.5
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Human Resources Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Human Resources Managers make?
Human Resources Managers earn a median of $149,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 193% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $71.77/hr. The middle half earn between $111,110 and $199,290. The top 10% earn $267,810 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Human Resources Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Human Resources Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 81.8% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Human Resources Manager a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 17,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Human Resources Manager do?
Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization. A core O*NET task: serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Human Resources Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Human Resources Managers are District of Columbia ($184,350), Massachusetts ($181,780), New York ($176,650) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Massachusetts moves to the top at $171,885.
What personality type suits a Human Resources Manager?
O*NET scores Human Resources Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.