Occupation salary profile

Human Resources Managers

SOC 11-3121 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization. Excludes managers who primarily focus on compensation and benefits (11-3111) and training and development (11-3131).

National median · BLS
$149,280
▲ +6.61% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$164,278
▼ -0.01% YoY · 284 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$164,230
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
220,660
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Human Resources Managers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 284 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$88,200$91,742
25th$111,110$124,950
Median (50th)$149,280$164,278
75th$199,290$204,740
90th — top pay$267,810$253,754
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $164,278 for Human Resources Managers — 10% above the BLS national median of $149,280.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Human Resources Managers

BLS projects employment of human resources managers to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 16,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
224,900 → 237,400
+12,500 jobs
Projected change
+5.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
16,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus 5 years or more experience
Self-employed
0.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $164,278
Change vs prior year -0.01%
After inflation (CPI-U) -3.04%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 77 27.1% $90,293 $110,000 $130,000
Level II 76 26.8% $130,000 $159,102 $180,000
Level III 50 17.6% $160,500 $184,042 $214,198
Level IV 65 22.9% $183,900 $238,368 $295,000
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Human Resources Managers

The 3 most-filed job titles inside SOC 11-3121, from 284 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Human Resources Manager 33 11.62% $90,293 $100,000 $126,610 -7.34%
HR Manager 14 4.93% $104,078 $134,004 $147,528 +3.08%
HR Business Partner 10 3.52% $167,050 $203,726 $219,911 +5.43%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Human Resources Managers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.4
  • Management of Personnel Resources4.3
  • Reading Comprehension4.3
  • Speaking4.3
  • Coordination4.1
  • Writing4.1
  • Active Learning4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Personnel and Human Resources4.9
  • English Language4.3
  • Administration and Management4.2
  • Customer and Personal Service3.9
  • Education and Training3.9
  • Law and Government3.6
  • Psychology3.3
  • Public Safety and Security3.2
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointWorkday softwareApplicant tracking softwareOracle HRISFacebookIBM SPSS StatisticsIntuit QuickBooksKronos Workforce TimekeeperMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WordOracle PeopleSoftSAP softwareAASoftTech Web Organization Chart

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What human resources managers do

  • Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
  • Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
  • Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
  • Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
  • Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
  • Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
  • Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
  • Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
Also called
Employee Relations ManagerHR Director (Human Resources Director)HR Manager (Human Resources Manager)HR VP (Human Resources Vice President)HR Admin Director (Human Resources Administration Director)HR Ops Manager (Human Resources Operations Manager)Recruitment Director
More job titles for this occupation (24)
Diversity and Inclusion DirectorDiversity ManagerEfficiency ManagerEmployee Welfare ManagerEmployment ManagerHR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator)HR Department Supervisor (Human Resources Department Supervisor)HR Supervisor (Human Resources Supervisor)Human Services ManagerIndustrial Relations DirectorIndustrial Relations ManagerLabor Relations DirectorLabor Relations ManagerPersonnel DirectorPersonnel Generalist ManagerPersonnel ManagerPlacement DirectorPosition Description ManagerRecruiting ManagerRecruitment ManagerStaffing ManagerTalent Acquisition DirectorTalent Acquisition ManagerWorkforce Manager

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.