Human Resource Specialist Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Human resource specialists hold about 214,000 positions nationally. As an occupation, this career is ranked low for unemployment rate. About 3% of employees could not obtain a job in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Jobs in this career are most numerous in Olympia (Washington), Decatur (Illinois), and Danville (Illinois), and least common in Houma (Louisiana), Amarillo (Texas), and McAllen (Texas).

Salaries vary the US, with the highest being found in Bloomington (Illinois), San Francisco (California), and Washington (District of Columbia). The lowest salaries for this job are in Appleton (Wisconsin), Kokomo (Indiana), and Janesville (Wisconsin).

Training and Education

Getting a bachelor's degree will improve one'schance of landing a job in this field. Human resource specialists with at least a bachelor's degree are 56% of the total. Approximately 30% of workers started college, but did not pursue a bachelor's degree. High school was sufficient education for 14% of people in this field. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Approximately, 8% of human resource specialists work part-time. In this field, about 2% work for themselves.

Human Resource Specialists Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of human resource specialists compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for human resource specialists.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Birmingham	$51,000	1,030
Huntsville	$67,000	560
Montgomery	$51,000	300
Mobile	$48,000	200
Florence	$57,000	90
Tuscaloosa	$57,000	80
Auburn	$54,000	60
Decatur	$41,000	60
Dothan	$57,000	50
Anniston	$44,000	40

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$63,000	230
Fairbanks	$51,000	80

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$52,000	1,900
Tucson	$53,000	370
Flagstaff	$54,000	30
Yuma	$53,000	30

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Little Rock	$55,000	310
Fayetteville	$56,000	210
Pine Bluff	$43,000	60
Fort Smith	$45,000	50

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
San Diego	$56,000	3,750
Oakland	$75,000	2,550
San Francisco	$81,000	2,470
Sacramento	$65,000	2,150
San Jose	$78,000	2,130
Riverside	$72,000	1,720
Fresno	$63,000	390
Oxnard	$66,000	360
Bakersfield	$57,000	310
Stockton	$57,000	280
Santa Rosa	$71,000	240
Vallejo	$84,000	220
Santa Barbara	$63,000	220
Modesto	$54,000	200
Salinas	$59,000	170
Redding	$54,000	100
Visalia	$54,000	100
Santa Cruz	$59,000	90
San Luis Obispo	$66,000	80
Hanford	$69,000	50
Napa	$60,000	50
Yuba City	$56,000	40
Merced	$62,000	40
El Centro	$51,000	30

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$68,000	1,900
Colorado Springs	$57,000	400
Boulder	$75,000	160
Fort Collins	$69,000	90
Pueblo	$54,000	80
Greeley	$56,000	70
Grand Junction	$49,000	30

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Hartford	$70,000	870
Bridgeport	$71,000	470
New Haven	$58,000	240
Norwich	$56,000	130
Waterbury	$56,000	50
Danbury	$59,000	40

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$63,000	440
Dover	$55,000	170

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$80,000	9,550

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Orlando	$55,000	2,320
Tampa	$54,000	2,090
Miami	$63,000	1,930
Fort Lauderdale	$55,000	1,310
Jacksonville	$54,000	1,000
West Palm Beach	$57,000	930
Tallahassee	$58,000	510
Palm Bay	$55,000	380
Sarasota	$49,000	350
Cape Coral	$54,000	320
Pensacola	$49,000	240
Gainesville	$54,000	210
Lakeland	$53,000	190
Deltona	$51,000	170
Fort Walton Beach	$60,000	170
Port St Lucie	$49,000	140
Ocala	$50,000	130
Naples	$54,000	110
Panama City	$51,000	100
Punta Gorda	$55,000	60
Sebastian	$58,000	40

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$65,000	2,990
Warner Robins	$61,000	230
Augusta	$57,000	190
Columbus	$58,000	160
Savannah	$53,000	80
Macon	$54,000	80
Athens	$52,000	60
Brunswick	$72,000	50
Gainesville	$61,000	40
Valdosta	$50,000	40

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$60,000	480

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$54,000	300
Idaho Falls	$59,000	30

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$55,000	6,670
Springfield	$46,000	430
Rockford	$41,000	300
Decatur	$66,000	240
Champaign	$51,000	180
Peoria	$60,000	150
Danville	$31,000	120
Bloomington	$73,000	90

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis	$57,000	1,250
Fort Wayne	$45,000	230
South Bend	$57,000	210
Evansville	$51,000	190
Kokomo	$38,000	150
Terre Haute	$55,000	100
Lafayette	$36,000	90
Bloomington	$45,000	90
Columbus	$53,000	80
Elkhart	$46,000	70

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Des Moines	$56,000	610
Davenport	$54,000	540
Cedar Rapids	$48,000	300
Iowa City	$51,000	130
Waterloo	$46,000	100
Dubuque	$37,000	100
Sioux City	$57,000	80

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$57,000	340
Topeka	$54,000	220
Lawrence	$59,000	30

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$57,000	1,040
Lexington	$51,000	440
Elizabethtown	$56,000	150
Bowling Green	$48,000	80
Owensboro	$34,000	70

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$54,000	650
Baton Rouge	$51,000	290
Lafayette	$50,000	120
Shreveport	$52,000	110
Alexandria	$54,000	50
Lake Charles	$44,000	40
Houma	$45,000	30

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$52,000	190
Bangor	$58,000	50
Lewiston	$43,000	40

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$65,000	2,470
Bethesda	$75,000	1,570
Hagerstown	$58,000	140
Salisbury	$64,000	50
Cumberland	$43,000	30

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boston	$67,000	2,500
Springfield	$65,000	380
Framingham	$68,000	290
Worcester	$61,000	240
Brockton	$39,000	210
Lowell	$74,000	170
Barnstable Town	$55,000	130
New Bedford	$52,000	100
Taunton	$58,000	90
Lawrence	$45,000	80
Haverhill	$55,000	70
Leominster	$57,000	50
Pittsfield	$55,000	40

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Detroit	$58,000	2,380
Warren	$62,000	1,820
Grand Rapids	$44,000	930
Ann Arbor	$57,000	470
Kalamazoo	$48,000	350
Flint	$39,000	220
Saginaw	$57,000	200
Holland	$49,000	170
Battle Creek	$53,000	120
Niles	$50,000	100
Jackson	$50,000	80
Muskegon	$51,000	60
Monroe	$46,000	60

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$65,000	4,980
Duluth	$50,000	220
Rochester	$65,000	160
St Cloud	$53,000	160

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Gulfport	$68,000	180
Jackson	$65,000	130

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
St Louis	$54,000	2,250
Kansas City	$62,000	1,440
Springfield	$50,000	170
Jefferson City	$47,000	140
Columbia	$50,000	80
Joplin	$46,000	70
St Joseph	$48,000	50

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Billings	$56,000	100

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$45,000	560
Lincoln	$57,000	210

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$54,000	780
Reno	$58,000	160

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashua	$53,000	260
Manchester	$55,000	140
Portsmouth	$61,000	120
Rochester	$52,000	100

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Edison	$66,000	1,860
Newark	$70,000	1,470
Camden	$63,000	840
Trenton	$61,000	380
Atlantic City	$53,000	130
Vineland	$67,000	60

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Albuquerque	$60,000	680
Santa Fe	$44,000	180

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$60,000	9,560
Nassau	$52,000	1,730
Albany	$58,000	1,280
Buffalo	$44,000	1,150
Rochester	$59,000	740
Syracuse	$47,000	520
Poughkeepsie	$55,000	320
Utica	$46,000	160
Binghamton	$45,000	120
Elmira		70
Glens Falls		50
Kingston		40
Ithaca	$49,000	30

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charlotte	$56,000	800
Greensboro	$53,000	750
Raleigh	$61,000	430
Durham	$69,000	380
Winston Salem	$54,000	200
Fayetteville	$63,000	180
Asheville	$61,000	130
Jacksonville	$59,000	90
Wilmington	$56,000	80
Hickory	$49,000	60
Greenville	$54,000	40
Rocky Mount	$49,000	40
Burlington	$49,000	30

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Fargo	$53,000	120
Bismarck	$54,000	90

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cleveland	$49,000	3,200
Cincinnati	$50,000	2,790
Columbus	$54,000	2,700
Toledo	$45,000	1,120
Dayton	$56,000	1,040
Youngstown	$36,000	710
Akron	$46,000	690
Canton	$38,000	390
Lima	$50,000	170
Mansfield	$52,000	170
Springfield	$28,000	110
Sandusky	$45,000	110

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Oklahoma City	$47,000	700
Tulsa	$48,000	250
Lawton	$58,000	40

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$60,000	2,680
Salem	$58,000	470
Eugene	$50,000	410
Medford	$51,000	150
Bend	$62,000	100
Corvallis	$48,000	50

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$69,000	3,050
Pittsburgh	$39,000	2,420
Harrisburg	$57,000	760
Allentown	$60,000	460
Scranton	$51,000	450
York	$54,000	360
Lancaster	$51,000	220
Johnstown	$36,000	200
Erie	$57,000	190
Reading	$31,000	180
State College	$32,000	100
Altoona	$56,000	100
Lebanon	$58,000	60

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$48,000	1,130

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Columbia	$53,000	310
Greenville	$49,000	280
Charleston	$52,000	270
Spartanburg	$49,000	100
Florence	$67,000	80
Anderson	$51,000	40
Myrtle Beach	$45,000	40

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashville	$58,000	790
Memphis	$63,000	690
Knoxville	$56,000	330
Chattanooga	$54,000	190
Kingsport	$51,000	110
Clarksville	$57,000	70
Johnson City	$53,000	40

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Dallas	$64,000	3,330
Houston	$64,000	1,740
San Antonio	$63,000	1,400
Austin	$63,000	980
Fort Worth	$62,000	560
El Paso	$56,000	180
Killeen	$56,000	130
Corpus Christi	$57,000	80
Beaumont	$45,000	70
Lubbock	$47,000	60
Mcallen	$54,000	60
Midland	$51,000	60
Wichita Falls	$58,000	50
Waco	$52,000	50
Tyler	$53,000	40
Texarkana	$58,000	40
Brownsville	$54,000	40
Amarillo	$54,000	30
Laredo	$52,000	30
Abilene	$45,000	30

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Salt Lake City	$56,000	740
Ogden	$59,000	300
Provo	$48,000	140
Logan	$45,000	50
St George	$45,000	50

Vermont

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Burlington	$64,000	190

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Richmond	$61,000	1,790
Virginia Beach	$60,000	1,470
Roanoke	$51,000	250
Charlottesville	$57,000	230
Blacksburg	$54,000	110
Lynchburg	$53,000	90
Winchester	$61,000	80
Harrisonburg	$50,000	70
Danville	$48,000	40

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$66,000	4,420
Olympia	$57,000	620
Tacoma	$68,000	600
Spokane	$57,000	320
Kennewick	$66,000	280
Bremerton	$69,000	270
Yakima	$50,000	160
Bellingham	$50,000	150
Longview	$57,000	110
Wenatchee	$60,000	60
Mount Vernon	$50,000	50

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charleston	$56,000	270
Parkersburg	$63,000	230
Wheeling	$44,000	200
Huntington	$46,000	200
Weirton	$34,000	180
Morgantown	$51,000	140

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Milwaukee	$43,000	2,410
Madison	$46,000	1,050
Appleton	$32,000	470
Green Bay	$33,000	430
Oshkosh	$35,000	420
Wausau	$36,000	280
Eau Claire	$45,000	270
Racine	$34,000	160
Fond	$38,000	160
Sheboygan	$30,000	150
La Crosse	$35,000	140
Janesville	$30,000	80

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cheyenne	$57,000	70
Casper	$58,000	40

Our human resource specialist career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.