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Best states for a human resource specialist
Quoted expert
Jamie Belinne
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Human resource specialist opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for human resource specialists, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for human resource specialists.Our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state in the country for human resource specialists.
District of Columbia is the best state for jobs for human resource specialists, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in District of Columbia is $84,465, while the median pay in Mississippi is $39,172.District of Columbia is the best state, and Brick is the city with the highest pay for human resource specialists.
10 best states for human resource specialists in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total human resource specialist jobs: 255 Average annual salary: $84,465 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
2. Delaware
Total human resource specialist jobs: 173 Average annual salary: $62,490 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. Alaska
Total human resource specialist jobs: 125 Average annual salary: $60,073 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
4. Washington
Total human resource specialist jobs: 809 Average annual salary: $66,202 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
5. New York
Total human resource specialist jobs: 1,590 Average annual salary: $62,852 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
6. Virginia
Total human resource specialist jobs: 1,046 Average annual salary: $62,795 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
7. Rhode Island
Total human resource specialist jobs: 132 Average annual salary: $61,827 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. Wyoming
Total human resource specialist jobs: 107 Average annual salary: $51,512 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
9. Pennsylvania
Total human resource specialist jobs: 1,265 Average annual salary: $58,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
10. Maryland
Total human resource specialist jobs: 699 Average annual salary: $62,849 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
Human resource specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a human resource specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a human resource specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,465 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 255 |
| 2 | Delaware | $62,490 | $41,000 | 961,939 | 173 |
| 3 | Alaska | $60,073 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 125 |
| 4 | Washington | $66,202 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 809 |
| 5 | New York | $62,852 | $42,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,590 |
| 6 | Virginia | $62,795 | $41,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,046 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $61,827 | $42,000 | 1,059,639 | 132 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $51,512 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 107 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,792 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,265 |
| 10 | Maryland | $62,849 | $41,000 | 6,052,177 | 699 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $62,447 | $42,000 | 3,588,184 | 350 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $59,320 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,033 |
| 13 | Vermont | $52,352 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 111 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $68,216 | $45,000 | 9,005,644 | 737 |
| 15 | Oregon | $53,657 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 519 |
| 16 | Michigan | $53,277 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 821 |
| 17 | California | $58,827 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,092 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $49,363 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,096 |
| 19 | Illinois | $51,815 | $34,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,304 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $51,218 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 96 |
| 21 | Ohio | $50,713 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,038 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $47,934 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 164 |
| 23 | Maine | $46,911 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 152 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $46,915 | $32,000 | 1,342,795 | 204 |
| 25 | Texas | $49,582 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,038 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $49,855 | $34,000 | 5,576,606 | 681 |
| 27 | Colorado | $51,656 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 595 |
| 28 | Nevada | $45,566 | $30,000 | 2,998,039 | 298 |
| 29 | Kansas | $46,963 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 322 |
| 30 | Indiana | $48,178 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 606 |
| 31 | Idaho | $47,271 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 173 |
| 32 | Arizona | $44,566 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 736 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $43,975 | $33,000 | 1,427,538 | 145 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $48,208 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 185 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $45,737 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 574 |
| 36 | Iowa | $43,637 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 421 |
| 37 | Georgia | $45,707 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,094 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $42,287 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 123 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $42,202 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 274 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $45,705 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 304 |
| 41 | Montana | $41,838 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 164 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $44,547 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 352 |
| 43 | Utah | $44,210 | $29,000 | 3,101,833 | 335 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $43,397 | $29,000 | 5,024,369 | 447 |
| 45 | Florida | $41,767 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,646 |
| 46 | Missouri | $43,548 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 559 |
| 47 | Alabama | $42,930 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 365 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $41,272 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 588 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $39,209 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 288 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $36,692 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 252 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $39,172 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 198 |
Highest paying states for human resource specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Human Resource Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,465 |
| 2 | Delaware | $62,490 |
| 3 | Alaska | $60,073 |
| 4 | Washington | $66,202 |
| 5 | New York | $62,852 |
| 6 | Virginia | $62,795 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $61,827 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $51,512 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,792 |
| 10 | Maryland | $62,849 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $62,447 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $59,320 |
| 13 | Vermont | $52,352 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $68,216 |
| 15 | Oregon | $53,657 |
| 16 | Michigan | $53,277 |
| 17 | California | $58,827 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $49,363 |
| 19 | Illinois | $51,815 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $51,218 |
| 21 | Ohio | $50,713 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $47,934 |
| 23 | Maine | $46,911 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $46,915 |
| 25 | Texas | $49,582 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $49,855 |
| 27 | Colorado | $51,656 |
| 28 | Nevada | $45,566 |
| 29 | Kansas | $46,963 |
| 30 | Indiana | $48,178 |
| 31 | Idaho | $47,271 |
| 32 | Arizona | $44,566 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $43,975 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $48,208 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $45,737 |
| 36 | Iowa | $43,637 |
| 37 | Georgia | $45,707 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $42,287 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $42,202 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $45,705 |
| 41 | Montana | $41,838 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $44,547 |
| 43 | Utah | $44,210 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $43,397 |
| 45 | Florida | $41,767 |
| 46 | Missouri | $43,548 |
| 47 | Alabama | $42,930 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $41,272 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $39,209 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $36,692 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $39,172 |
Expert opinions on the best states for human resource specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for human resource specialists to find work opportunities?
Jamie Belinne
Assistant Dean, University of Houston
In the field of business communications? If anything, this experience has made jobs less location-dependent. In the past, there were geographic hotbeds for different areas, but that won't be as true in the future, as virtual workers are given more opportunities to prioritize the quality of life over physical presence in an office.
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Updated January 8, 2025