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Best states for a human resources executive
Quoted expert
Jamie Belinne
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you want to become a human resources executive at Target, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for human resources executives that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In order to help you decide which state is the best for human resources executives, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for human resources executive jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for human resources executives.If you are currently seeking employment as a human resources executive, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for human resources executives in 2026
1. Arizona
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,061 Average annual salary: $102,219 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
2. Nevada
Total human resources executive jobs: 381 Average annual salary: $93,357 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
3. Rhode Island
Total human resources executive jobs: 215 Average annual salary: $90,871 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
4. Delaware
Total human resources executive jobs: 221 Average annual salary: $92,888 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
5. Washington
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,364 Average annual salary: $93,281 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
6. Pennsylvania
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,796 Average annual salary: $90,467 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
7. Virginia
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,648 Average annual salary: $91,241 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
8. Massachusetts
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,825 Average annual salary: $89,554 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
9. North Carolina
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,544 Average annual salary: $88,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
10. Ohio
Total human resources executive jobs: 1,521 Average annual salary: $87,637 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
Human resources executive jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a human resources executive
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a human resources executive
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $102,219 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,061 |
| 2 | Nevada | $93,357 | $62,000 | 2,998,039 | 381 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $90,871 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 215 |
| 4 | Delaware | $92,888 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 221 |
| 5 | Washington | $93,281 | $67,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,364 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $90,467 | $59,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,796 |
| 7 | Virginia | $91,241 | $59,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,648 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $89,554 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,825 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $88,168 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,544 |
| 10 | Ohio | $87,637 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,521 |
| 11 | Illinois | $86,086 | $58,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,419 |
| 12 | New York | $100,617 | $65,000 | 19,849,399 | 904 |
| 13 | California | $103,574 | $69,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,990 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $89,541 | $58,000 | 3,588,184 | 544 |
| 15 | Maryland | $94,398 | $61,000 | 6,052,177 | 952 |
| 16 | Michigan | $85,689 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,076 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $87,985 | $57,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,389 |
| 18 | Utah | $82,244 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 569 |
| 19 | Alabama | $86,860 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 509 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $86,624 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 237 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $82,539 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 888 |
| 22 | Oregon | $90,704 | $64,000 | 4,142,776 | 288 |
| 23 | Missouri | $82,755 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 929 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $84,284 | $55,000 | 1,815,857 | 172 |
| 25 | Georgia | $82,523 | $53,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,685 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $82,150 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 360 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $79,796 | $55,000 | 579,315 | 94 |
| 28 | Iowa | $82,241 | $56,000 | 3,145,711 | 455 |
| 29 | Colorado | $80,326 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,064 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $81,697 | $51,000 | 4,684,333 | 417 |
| 31 | Montana | $76,279 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 220 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $79,773 | $54,000 | 5,795,483 | 813 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $90,022 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 178 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $80,526 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 381 |
| 35 | Kansas | $76,948 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 483 |
| 36 | Texas | $75,042 | $48,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,572 |
| 37 | Maine | $80,049 | $53,000 | 1,335,907 | 176 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $76,602 | $53,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,134 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $79,624 | $50,000 | 2,984,100 | 252 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $77,261 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 271 |
| 41 | Indiana | $77,420 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 829 |
| 42 | Vermont | $72,520 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 142 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $71,675 | $50,000 | 755,393 | 156 |
| 44 | Alaska | $73,520 | $59,000 | 739,795 | 104 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $73,699 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 480 |
| 46 | Idaho | $71,659 | $50,000 | 1,716,943 | 250 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $71,171 | $45,000 | 5,024,369 | 626 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $63,859 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 128 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,015 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 331 |
| 50 | Florida | $68,275 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,288 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $69,736 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 114 |
Highest paying states for human resources executives
| Rank | State | Avg. Human Resources Executive Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $102,219 |
| 2 | Nevada | $93,357 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $90,871 |
| 4 | Delaware | $92,888 |
| 5 | Washington | $93,281 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $90,467 |
| 7 | Virginia | $91,241 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $89,554 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $88,168 |
| 10 | Ohio | $87,637 |
| 11 | Illinois | $86,086 |
| 12 | New York | $100,617 |
| 13 | California | $103,574 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $89,541 |
| 15 | Maryland | $94,398 |
| 16 | Michigan | $85,689 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $87,985 |
| 18 | Utah | $82,244 |
| 19 | Alabama | $86,860 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $86,624 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $82,539 |
| 22 | Oregon | $90,704 |
| 23 | Missouri | $82,755 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $84,284 |
| 25 | Georgia | $82,523 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $82,150 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $79,796 |
| 28 | Iowa | $82,241 |
| 29 | Colorado | $80,326 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $81,697 |
| 31 | Montana | $76,279 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $79,773 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $90,022 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $80,526 |
| 35 | Kansas | $76,948 |
| 36 | Texas | $75,042 |
| 37 | Maine | $80,049 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $76,602 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $79,624 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $77,261 |
| 41 | Indiana | $77,420 |
| 42 | Vermont | $72,520 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $71,675 |
| 44 | Alaska | $73,520 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $73,699 |
| 46 | Idaho | $71,659 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $71,171 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $63,859 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,015 |
| 50 | Florida | $68,275 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $69,736 |
Expert opinions on the best states for human resources executives
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for human resources executives 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