How Much Money Do HR Managers Make?

by Aurelio Locsin
HR managers can manage a department of HR specialists.

HR managers can manage a department of HR specialists.

Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images

HR managers are professionals who manage employee concerns such as how and when payroll is distributed, or how often training classes are administered. They guide hiring and firing decisions and make sure that their companies follow regulations and laws concerning fairness and the rights of emloyees. How much money HR, or human resources, managers make depends on their employers and locations.


Some HR managers made as little as $60,070 per year, or $28.88 per hour. Others made as much as $169,310 annually, or $81.40 hourly. On average, however, they earned an annual $108,600, or $52.21 per hour, as of May 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In small companies, they could earn their salaries by being the sole employee in charge of human resources. In larger concerns, they are more likely to specialize in different functions. Examples include staffing managers, who determine how new employees enter the company; payroll managers, who handle salary procedures; and employee relations managers, who oversee labor contracts.


HR managers found their best job opportunities in the area classified by the BLS as the management of companies and enterprises, which contained 12,230 out of the total 81,750 administrative positions. These organizations took control of other companies by either controlling the majority stock in a hostile bid, or by more benignly planning goals and strategies as consultants. Average salaries here ran $122,780 annually, or $59.03 in 2011. Managers interested in the best pay worked for the motion picture and video industry. Though this employment category only provided jobs for 290 individuals, it had wages reaching $158,700 yearly, or $76.30 hourly.

Best Locations

In terms of states with the highest paying location for HR managers, New Jersey topped the list with mean wages of $137,570 per year, or $66.14 per hour, and 3,180 positions. Ranking second was the District of Columbia, which the BLS categorized with states. The 1,290 professionals here made an average $131,830 annually, or $63.38 hourly. The highest paying metropolitan area was San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, California, with mean compensation of $157,650 per year, or $75.79 hourly. The 1,160 managers there worked in Silicon Valley, with its high cost of living and concentration of high-tech industry.


Employers typically require at least a bachelor’s degree in human resources or business administration for HR managers. Many HR administrators get their degrees in other fields, such as psychology, while including subjects in organizational development or labor relations. However, graduates rarely start at management level. Instead, they must go through several years as HR specialists, so they can develop their skills. They must also demonstrate leadership acumen by taking on tasks with more responsibility. Voluntary certification, such as from the Society for Human Resource Management, may speed the climb up the corporate ladder.

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