Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
13-1071 Human Resources Specialists
Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas. Excludes “Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists” (13-1141) and “Training and Development Specialists” (13-1151).
National estimates for Human Resources Specialists
Industry profile for Human Resources Specialists
Geographic profile for Human Resources Specialists
National estimates for Human Resources Specialists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Human Resources Specialists:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 740,830 |
0.8 % |
$ 34.00 |
$ 70,720 |
0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Human Resources Specialists:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 18.12 |
$ 23.12 |
$ 29.95 |
$ 38.99 |
$ 52.00 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 37,680 |
$ 48,080 |
$ 62,290 |
$ 81,090 |
$ 108,160 |
Industry profile for Human Resources Specialists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Human Resources Specialists are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Human Resources Specialists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Human Resources Specialists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Employment Services |
130,780 |
3.75 |
$ 29.30 |
$ 60,950 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
57,360 |
2.26 |
$ 36.80 |
$ 76,540 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
31,520 |
1.50 |
$ 44.20 |
$ 91,930 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
29,590 |
1.90 |
$ 39.31 |
$ 81,770 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
27,590 |
1.22 |
$ 40.01 |
$ 83,210 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Human Resources Specialists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Employment Services |
130,780 |
3.75 |
$ 29.30 |
$ 60,950 |
| Office Administrative Services |
12,010 |
2.47 |
$ 33.53 |
$ 69,730 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
57,360 |
2.26 |
$ 36.80 |
$ 76,540 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
29,590 |
1.90 |
$ 39.31 |
$ 81,770 |
| Monetary Authorities-Central Bank |
350 |
1.68 |
$ 47.10 |
$ 97,960 |
Top paying industries for Human Resources Specialists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing |
1,040 |
0.67 |
$ 54.42 |
$ 113,190 |
| Other Information Services |
5,500 |
1.52 |
$ 53.37 |
$ 111,010 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities |
6,110 |
0.64 |
$ 50.24 |
$ 104,500 |
| Sound Recording Industries |
290 |
1.66 |
$ 49.33 |
$ 102,600 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
240 |
0.27 |
$ 47.84 |
$ 99,510 |
Geographic profile for Human Resources Specialists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Human Resources Specialists are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Human Resources Specialists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Human Resources Specialists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
84,590 |
5.12 |
0.97 |
$ 39.12 |
$ 81,360 |
| Texas |
56,810 |
4.65 |
0.88 |
$ 33.34 |
$ 69,360 |
| Florida |
47,900 |
5.57 |
1.06 |
$ 31.42 |
$ 65,350 |
| New York |
47,180 |
5.44 |
1.03 |
$ 40.48 |
$ 84,200 |
| Ohio |
34,250 |
6.58 |
1.25 |
$ 30.73 |
$ 63,910 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Human Resources Specialists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
8,120 |
12.27 |
2.33 |
$ 47.90 |
$ 99,620 |
| Virginia |
27,510 |
7.33 |
1.39 |
$ 37.44 |
$ 77,880 |
| Ohio |
34,250 |
6.58 |
1.25 |
$ 30.73 |
$ 63,910 |
| Washington |
20,700 |
6.46 |
1.23 |
$ 40.36 |
$ 83,940 |
| Georgia |
27,420 |
6.26 |
1.19 |
$ 30.73 |
$ 63,910 |
Top paying states for Human Resources Specialists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
8,120 |
12.27 |
2.33 |
$ 47.90 |
$ 99,620 |
| New York |
47,180 |
5.44 |
1.03 |
$ 40.48 |
$ 84,200 |
| Washington |
20,700 |
6.46 |
1.23 |
$ 40.36 |
$ 83,940 |
| New Jersey |
17,020 |
4.42 |
0.84 |
$ 40.26 |
$ 83,740 |
| California |
84,590 |
5.12 |
0.97 |
$ 39.12 |
$ 81,360 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Human Resources Specialists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
45,920 |
5.29 |
1.01 |
$ 42.46 |
$ 88,320 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
29,260 |
5.12 |
0.97 |
$ 37.16 |
$ 77,290 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
26,510 |
9.04 |
1.72 |
$ 43.94 |
$ 91,400 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
22,230 |
5.25 |
1.00 |
$ 33.67 |
$ 70,020 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
19,590 |
5.46 |
1.04 |
$ 35.86 |
$ 74,590 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
18,150 |
7.01 |
1.33 |
$ 32.45 |
$ 67,500 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
16,080 |
6.22 |
1.18 |
$ 38.67 |
$ 80,430 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
15,150 |
6.76 |
1.29 |
$ 45.90 |
$ 95,460 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
14,570 |
5.49 |
1.04 |
$ 35.96 |
$ 74,800 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
14,270 |
7.44 |
1.42 |
$ 43.12 |
$ 89,680 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Human Resources Specialists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY |
950 |
18.47 |
3.51 |
$ 35.52 |
$ 73,890 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV |
410 |
11.77 |
2.24 |
$ 34.31 |
$ 71,350 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
26,510 |
9.04 |
1.72 |
$ 43.94 |
$ 91,400 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA |
970 |
8.65 |
1.65 |
$ 36.13 |
$ 75,160 |
| Columbus, IN |
410 |
8.47 |
1.61 |
$ 31.18 |
$ 64,860 |
| Columbus, OH |
8,030 |
7.85 |
1.49 |
$ 31.86 |
$ 66,270 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
14,270 |
7.44 |
1.42 |
$ 43.12 |
$ 89,680 |
| Madison, WI |
2,810 |
7.43 |
1.41 |
$ 32.76 |
$ 68,150 |
| Raleigh, NC |
4,650 |
7.34 |
1.40 |
$ 32.70 |
$ 68,020 |
| Springfield, IL |
690 |
7.10 |
1.35 |
$ 32.45 |
$ 67,500 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Human Resources Specialists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
6,660 |
6.24 |
1.19 |
$ 49.32 |
$ 102,590 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
15,150 |
6.76 |
1.29 |
$ 45.90 |
$ 95,460 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
26,510 |
9.04 |
1.72 |
$ 43.94 |
$ 91,400 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
14,270 |
7.44 |
1.42 |
$ 43.12 |
$ 89,680 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
45,920 |
5.29 |
1.01 |
$ 42.46 |
$ 88,320 |
| California-Lexington Park, MD |
220 |
4.84 |
0.92 |
$ 40.44 |
$ 84,120 |
| Napa, CA |
250 |
3.68 |
0.70 |
$ 39.20 |
$ 81,540 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
740 |
3.85 |
0.73 |
$ 39.07 |
$ 81,260 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA |
1,520 |
5.13 |
0.98 |
$ 38.92 |
$ 80,950 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
16,080 |
6.22 |
1.18 |
$ 38.67 |
$ 80,430 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Human Resources Specialists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Human Resources Specialists:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Human Resources Specialists:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
