United States · Pay by job · Business and Finance

Human Resources Specialist salary and take-home pay

The typical US human resources specialist earns $75,940 a year, or $36.51 an hour (BLS, May 2025). In Texas, where the median for this job is $68,920, a single filer keeps about $57,315 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

BLS title: Human Resources Specialists (SOC 13-1071). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

How much does a human resources specialist earn?

Human Resources Specialist pay in the US: the 10th to 90th percentile
Percentile Bar A year An hour
10th $47,180 $22.69
25th $58,610 $28.18
Median $75,940 $36.51
75th $99,380 $47.78
90th $128,720 $61.89

The middle half of people in this job earn $58,610 to $99,380 a year, and about 912,430 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).

Take-home pay tool

The 10th percentile is where pay starts for most people in this job; the 90th, near the top.

Human Resources Specialist · Texas · single · median

$57,315.22 a year after tax

$4,776.27 a month · $2,204.43 a paycheck (every two weeks)

Pay and taxes for the year
Pay before tax$68,920.00
Federal income tax−$6,332.40
Social Security and Medicare−$5,272.38
Texas tax and payroll contributionsnone
Take-home pay$57,315.22

Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $68,920 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.

What does a human resources specialist take home at each pay point?

A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:

Human Resources Specialist take-home pay at each percentile, 2026
Pay a yearTexasCaliforniaNew York
10th $47,180 $40,089$38,640$37,903
25th $58,610 $49,273$47,022$46,421
Median $75,940 $62,254$58,526$58,391
75th $99,380 $78,744$72,599$73,478
90th $128,720 $99,246$89,991$92,009

Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.

Where does a human resources specialist keep the most after tax?

Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.

Human Resources Specialist: states ranked by take-home pay at the median
RankStateMedian payTake-home
1 Washington $84,550 $67,138
2 New York $84,380 $63,836
3 California $83,500 $63,110
4 Alaska $76,990 $62,721
5 Virginia $82,090 $62,674
6 New Jersey $80,690 $62,116
7 Illinois $76,820 $59,215
8 Nevada $71,610 $59,208
9 New Hampshire $70,840 $58,666
10 North Carolina $73,070 $57,828
11 Texas $68,920 $57,315
12 Ohio $70,180 $56,715
13 South Dakota $67,590 $56,380
14 Tennessee $67,370 $56,225
15 Pennsylvania $70,450 $56,179
16 Wyoming $66,970 $55,943
17 Georgia $70,570 $55,703
18 Florida $66,410 $55,540
19 Michigan $69,520 $55,033

How much does a human resources specialist earn in each state?

Human Resources Specialist median pay and employment in every state and DC (BLS, May 2025)
StateMedian payPeople in the jobTake-home (single)
Alabama $64,940 11,080 not yet
Alaska $76,990 1,420 $62,721 (#4)
Arizona $71,390 20,230 not yet
Arkansas $55,010 6,230 not yet
California $83,500 104,000 $63,110 (#3)
Colorado $80,840 19,450 not yet
Connecticut $82,890 9,010 not yet
Delaware $77,700 2,720 not yet
District of Columbia $110,970 6,910 not yet
Florida $66,410 62,730 $55,540 (#18)
Georgia $70,570 32,110 $55,703 (#17)
Hawaii $73,750 2,570 not yet
Idaho $64,990 3,930 not yet
Illinois $76,820 35,430 $59,215 (#7)
Indiana $65,600 17,110 not yet
Iowa $66,710 7,930 not yet
Kansas $70,870 7,560 not yet
Kentucky $69,010 10,900 not yet
Louisiana $61,300 7,240 not yet
Maine $71,630 3,020 not yet
Maryland $83,910 15,530 not yet
Massachusetts $85,630 27,300 not yet
Michigan $69,520 25,520 $55,033 (#19)
Minnesota $78,760 17,240 not yet
Mississippi $60,300 4,850 not yet
Missouri $66,990 17,650 not yet
Montana $63,790 2,340 not yet
Nebraska $61,930 7,220 not yet
Nevada $71,610 6,520 $59,208 (#8)
New Hampshire $70,840 4,270 $58,666 (#9)
New Jersey $80,690 21,690 $62,116 (#6)
New Mexico $68,050 4,090 not yet
New York $84,380 54,610 $63,836 (#2)
North Carolina $73,070 31,140 $57,828 (#10)
North Dakota $75,630 1,710 not yet
Ohio $70,180 33,500 $56,715 (#12)
Oklahoma $61,630 9,370 not yet
Oregon $78,060 10,620 not yet
Pennsylvania $70,450 36,960 $56,179 (#15)
Rhode Island $77,560 3,320 not yet
South Carolina $65,370 13,720 not yet
South Dakota $67,590 1,340 $56,380 (#13)
Tennessee $67,370 21,460 $56,225 (#14)
Texas $68,920 84,930 $57,315 (#11)
Utah $71,750 9,900 not yet
Vermont $77,800 1,270 not yet
Virginia $82,090 28,540 $62,674 (#5)
Washington $84,550 22,770 $67,138 (#1)
West Virginia $66,860 3,130 not yet
Wisconsin $70,540 17,360 not yet
Wyoming $66,970 1,000 $55,943 (#16)

Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.

What is the job outlook for a human resources specialist?

BLS expects jobs as a human resources specialist to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).

Job growth, 2025 to 2035
+6.4%
Openings a year
about 73,700
Usual education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

The 10 business and finance jobs closest in pay to a human resources specialist:

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Where do these figures come from?

Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.

Questions about human resources specialist pay

How much does a human resources specialist make an hour?

The median is $36.51 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $28.18 to $47.78, and the top 10% earn $61.89 or more.

Which state pays a human resources specialist the most?

Among the 50 states and DC, District of Columbia has the highest median for this job: $110,970 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, Washington leaves the most: $67,138 a year for a single filer on its median of $84,550.

What is a human resources specialist’s take-home pay?

On the national median of $75,940, a single filer keeps about $62,254 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $58,526 in California and $58,391 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.

What education do you need to be a human resources specialist?

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the usual way in, with no work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.

Is the number of human resources specialist jobs growing?

BLS expects jobs as a human resources specialist to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).