Human Resources Specialist Salary by U.S. City (2026)

Human Resources Specialist salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real pay. Compare metros.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026

Cities tracked
50
National average
$76,060

How Human Resources Specialist pay varies by city

Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Human Resources Specialist pay ranges from about $49,120 in El Paso, TX to $101,430 in San Jose, CA (median wage). But the highest nominal pay isn’t the best deal once local prices are factored in: adjusted for cost of living, Wichita, KS delivers the strongest real buying power (about $368,142 in national-average dollars). The U.S. national average for this role is about $76,060.

The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.

CityMedian10th %ile90th %ileCost of living
(US = 100)		Real pay
(COL-adjusted)
San Jose, CA$101,430$61,570$177,010110.4$103,801
Oakland, CA$98,150$61,080$171,800115.6$94,998
San Francisco, CA$98,150$61,080$171,800115.6$94,998
Washington, DC$93,080$54,350$150,010108.9$89,600
Seattle, WA$87,090$56,760$143,710111.1$86,950
New York, NY$82,060$51,720$142,460112.6$82,318
Boston, MA$79,876$49,080$101,432108.3$73,778
Denver, CO$79,120$48,940$133,220105.8$81,129
San Diego, CA$78,860$48,570$130,210111.9$76,747
Baltimore, MD$78,370$50,470$132,350104.5$81,599
Sacramento, CA$77,940$47,630$127,390106.7$77,960
Minneapolis, MN$77,580$48,930$128,070104.8$78,380
Long Beach, CA$76,660$47,090$129,590113.6$73,825
Los Angeles, CA$76,660$47,090$129,590113.6$73,825
Portland, OR$75,080$47,810$124,710105.4$75,611
Charlotte, NC$72,890$45,300$121,49097.3$80,053
Colorado Springs, CO$71,030$43,580$114,940100.7$75,486
Fort Worth, TX$69,815$39,632$90,942103.1$67,722
Philadelphia, PA$69,280$45,000$113,110102.6$73,766
Fresno, CA$69,100$45,530$107,330102.2$72,995
Chicago, IL$67,890$46,460$107,070103.6$72,339
Austin, TX$67,740$45,090$124,71098.1$78,804
Detroit, MI$66,990$45,470$105,310100.3$73,720
Atlanta, GA$66,260$40,700$120,100100.1$74,767
Kansas City, MO$66,140$42,850$118,06092.5$80,287
Columbus, OH$65,950$42,450$109,35095.5$77,030
Milwaukee, WI$64,570$45,650$101,99096.9$72,769
Cleveland, OH$64,400$40,950$108,020——
Raleigh, NC$64,370$44,230$125,36098.2$77,447
Albuquerque, NM$63,680$39,590$104,27095.5$72,489
Mesa, AZ$63,530$42,770$102,420103.3$67,434
Phoenix, AZ$63,530$42,770$102,420103.3$67,434
Houston, TX$63,270$40,220$120,31098.6$73,599
Arlington, TX$62,860$39,360$110,140——
Dallas, TX$62,860$39,360$110,140103.1$69,444
New Orleans, LA$62,820$41,910$98,77026.3$261,445
Nashville, TN$62,420$40,040$107,17096.3$73,263
Louisville, KY$62,410$40,780$98,87093.1$73,297
Jacksonville, FL$62,400$39,520$103,74099.5$69,247
San Antonio, TX$62,050$38,290$108,16094.7$73,409
Las Vegas, NV$62,020$39,530$111,760100.2$72,734
Wichita, KS$61,970$37,440$102,03018.3$368,142
Indianapolis, IN$61,320$40,000$101,91095.7$70,808
Miami, FL$61,040$43,010$107,430114.2$61,627
Tucson, AZ$60,310$39,660$98,20096.9$67,392
Oklahoma City, OK$60,090$39,530$100,01090.4$72,505
Omaha, NE$59,640$39,520$98,71091.9$70,231
Memphis, TN$59,400$37,780$100,54092.2$70,971
Tulsa, OK$57,120$37,140$102,55089.2$72,556
El Paso, TX$49,120$34,480$93,69089.9$64,018

“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.

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