Salaries › HR Specialist
HR Specialist Salary by State (2026)
HR Specialists (Human Resources Specialists) hold 912,450 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $74,452 per year, but the median ranges from $55,010 in Arkansas to $110,970 in District of Columbia. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median HR Specialist salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| District of Columbia | $110,970 | 6,910 |
| Massachusetts | $85,630 | 27,300 |
| Washington | $84,550 | 22,770 |
| New York | $84,380 | 54,610 |
| Maryland | $83,910 | 15,530 |
| California | $83,500 | 104,000 |
| Connecticut | $82,890 | 9,010 |
| Virginia | $82,090 | 28,540 |
| Colorado | $80,840 | 19,450 |
| New Jersey | $80,690 | 21,690 |
| Minnesota | $78,760 | 17,240 |
| Oregon | $78,060 | 10,620 |
| Vermont | $77,800 | 1,270 |
| Delaware | $77,700 | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $77,560 | 3,320 |
| Alaska | $76,990 | 1,420 |
| Illinois | $76,820 | 35,430 |
| North Dakota | $75,630 | 1,710 |
| Hawaii | $73,750 | 2,570 |
| North Carolina | $73,070 | 31,140 |
| Utah | $71,750 | 9,900 |
| Maine | $71,630 | 3,020 |
| Nevada | $71,610 | 6,520 |
| Arizona | $71,390 | 20,230 |
| Kansas | $70,870 | 7,560 |
| New Hampshire | $70,840 | 4,270 |
| Georgia | $70,570 | 32,110 |
| Wisconsin | $70,540 | 17,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,450 | 36,960 |
| Ohio | $70,180 | 33,500 |
| Michigan | $69,520 | 25,520 |
| Kentucky | $69,010 | 10,900 |
| Texas | $68,920 | 84,930 |
| New Mexico | $68,050 | 4,090 |
| South Dakota | $67,590 | 1,340 |
| Tennessee | $67,370 | 21,460 |
| Missouri | $66,990 | 17,650 |
| Wyoming | $66,970 | 1,000 |
| West Virginia | $66,860 | 3,130 |
| Iowa | $66,710 | 7,930 |
| Florida | $66,410 | 62,730 |
| Indiana | $65,600 | 17,110 |
| South Carolina | $65,370 | 13,720 |
| Idaho | $64,990 | 3,930 |
| Alabama | $64,940 | 11,080 |
| Montana | $63,790 | 2,340 |
| Nebraska | $61,930 | 7,220 |
| Oklahoma | $61,630 | 9,370 |
| Louisiana | $61,300 | 7,240 |
| Mississippi | $60,300 | 4,850 |
| Arkansas | $55,010 | 6,230 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average HR Specialist salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) HR Specialist salary in the US is about $74,452 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 912,450 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays HR Specialists the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median HR Specialist salary at $110,970 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays HR Specialists the least?
- Arkansas has the lowest median at $55,010 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Human Resources Specialists, code 13-1071). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.