$Who Earns What

How much does a hr manager make?

US Human Resources Managers

Answer: A typical hr manager in the United States makes $149,280 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$149,280

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 221,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$88,200
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$149,280
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$267,810
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

50 of 100
more than half

HR manager pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

HR manager pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$88,200$149,280$267,810about 221,000
States where hr managers earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
District of Columbia$184,350about 2,000
Massachusetts$181,780about 8,000
New York$176,650about 18,000
New Jersey$172,440about 6,000
California$170,080about 27,000

Why does pay differ?

In the U.S., pay can differ with experience and responsibility, HR specialty, employer industry and size, and location. Certification may help qualify someone for a role; most HR managers work regular business hours, and some work longer.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$149,280
District of Columbia$184,350
Massachusetts$181,780
New York$176,650
New Jersey$172,440
California$170,080
Arkansas$108,580
Louisiana$107,880
Mississippi$106,100

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a hr manager do?

Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization. Excludes managers who primarily focus on compensation and benefits (11-3111) and training and development (11-3131).

What's a typical day like?

They review job openings and hiring plans, answer employees’ questions, and help settle workplace disputes. They also guide the HR team and check benefits, training, payroll, and workplace rules.

How to get this job

In the U.S., earn a bachelor’s degree in HR or a related field, then build several years of experience; some start as HR or labor-relations specialists. Certification is voluntary, though some employers prefer or require it.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

In the U.S., HR managers may help run day-care programs and employee-award projects—not just hiring.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY