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Best states for a human resources lead
Quoted expert
Sarah Kovalesky
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and executive management careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to human resources lead jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for human resources leads.In fact, our research shows that Nevada is the best state for human resources leads in America. The best city in America for human resources leads with the highest pay is Santa Clara, CA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for human resources leads. Nevada is the best state for human resources leads, where the median salary is $130,897.Nevada is the best state, and Carson City is the city with the highest pay for human resources leads.
10 best states for human resources leads in 2025
1. Nevada
Total human resources lead jobs: 445 Average annual salary: $130,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 3.07
2. California
Total human resources lead jobs: 2,104 Average annual salary: $130,808 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
3. Delaware
Total human resources lead jobs: 100 Average annual salary: $114,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. District of Columbia
Total human resources lead jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $127,819 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
5. Connecticut
Total human resources lead jobs: 207 Average annual salary: $119,707 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
6. Virginia
Total human resources lead jobs: 558 Average annual salary: $122,586 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. New Jersey
Total human resources lead jobs: 438 Average annual salary: $129,772 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
8. New York
Total human resources lead jobs: 970 Average annual salary: $117,401 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. Pennsylvania
Total human resources lead jobs: 684 Average annual salary: $115,398 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
10. Maryland
Total human resources lead jobs: 358 Average annual salary: $127,994 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
Human resources lead jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a human resources lead
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a human resources lead
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $130,897 | $84,000 | 2,998,039 | 445 |
| 2 | California | $130,808 | $84,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,104 |
| 3 | Delaware | $114,741 | $73,000 | 961,939 | 100 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $127,819 | $82,000 | 693,972 | 185 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $119,707 | $76,000 | 3,588,184 | 207 |
| 6 | Virginia | $122,586 | $78,000 | 8,470,020 | 558 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $129,772 | $83,000 | 9,005,644 | 438 |
| 8 | New York | $117,401 | $74,000 | 19,849,399 | 970 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $115,398 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 684 |
| 10 | Maryland | $127,994 | $82,000 | 6,052,177 | 358 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $115,669 | $73,000 | 6,859,819 | 642 |
| 12 | Ohio | $110,086 | $69,000 | 11,658,609 | 611 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $108,323 | $68,000 | 10,273,419 | 610 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $104,098 | $65,000 | 2,088,070 | 290 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $115,795 | $73,000 | 1,059,639 | 66 |
| 16 | Illinois | $109,046 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 873 |
| 17 | Texas | $114,233 | $70,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,086 |
| 18 | Georgia | $108,625 | $67,000 | 10,429,379 | 646 |
| 19 | Arizona | $102,872 | $64,000 | 7,016,270 | 424 |
| 20 | Iowa | $103,231 | $65,000 | 3,145,711 | 204 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $104,816 | $65,000 | 1,815,857 | 71 |
| 22 | Kansas | $96,355 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 498 |
| 23 | Maine | $103,277 | $63,000 | 1,335,907 | 76 |
| 24 | Washington | $104,727 | $68,000 | 7,405,743 | 505 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $99,137 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 332 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $99,850 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 129 |
| 27 | Missouri | $104,099 | $66,000 | 6,113,532 | 321 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $94,964 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 448 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $96,046 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 42 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $93,101 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 351 |
| 31 | Alabama | $100,748 | $62,000 | 4,874,747 | 193 |
| 32 | Michigan | $96,756 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 468 |
| 33 | Utah | $102,009 | $64,000 | 3,101,833 | 169 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $89,293 | $55,000 | 3,004,279 | 398 |
| 35 | Vermont | $92,829 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 58 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $96,554 | $59,000 | 2,984,100 | 118 |
| 37 | Montana | $86,781 | $55,000 | 1,050,493 | 223 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $84,884 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 153 |
| 39 | Alaska | $78,076 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 160 |
| 40 | Idaho | $84,262 | $53,000 | 1,716,943 | 303 |
| 41 | Colorado | $94,446 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 371 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $92,659 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 213 |
| 43 | Indiana | $94,298 | $59,000 | 6,666,818 | 337 |
| 44 | Oregon | $85,579 | $55,000 | 4,142,776 | 311 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $86,606 | $53,000 | 5,795,483 | 340 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $93,889 | $56,000 | 4,684,333 | 145 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $84,628 | $53,000 | 755,393 | 57 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $69,492 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 65 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $81,508 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 436 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $86,400 | $53,000 | 5,024,369 | 242 |
| 51 | Florida | $74,228 | $43,000 | 20,984,400 | 787 |
Highest paying states for human resources leads
| Rank | State | Avg. Human Resources Lead Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $130,897 |
| 2 | California | $130,808 |
| 3 | Delaware | $114,741 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $127,819 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $119,707 |
| 6 | Virginia | $122,586 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $129,772 |
| 8 | New York | $117,401 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $115,398 |
| 10 | Maryland | $127,994 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $115,669 |
| 12 | Ohio | $110,086 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $108,323 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $104,098 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $115,795 |
| 16 | Illinois | $109,046 |
| 17 | Texas | $114,233 |
| 18 | Georgia | $108,625 |
| 19 | Arizona | $102,872 |
| 20 | Iowa | $103,231 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $104,816 |
| 22 | Kansas | $96,355 |
| 23 | Maine | $103,277 |
| 24 | Washington | $104,727 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $99,137 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $99,850 |
| 27 | Missouri | $104,099 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $94,964 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $96,046 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $93,101 |
| 31 | Alabama | $100,748 |
| 32 | Michigan | $96,756 |
| 33 | Utah | $102,009 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $89,293 |
| 35 | Vermont | $92,829 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $96,554 |
| 37 | Montana | $86,781 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $84,884 |
| 39 | Alaska | $78,076 |
| 40 | Idaho | $84,262 |
| 41 | Colorado | $94,446 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $92,659 |
| 43 | Indiana | $94,298 |
| 44 | Oregon | $85,579 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $86,606 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $93,889 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $84,628 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $69,492 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $81,508 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $86,400 |
| 51 | Florida | $74,228 |
Expert opinions on the best states for human resources leads
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for human resources leads to find work opportunities?
Sarah Kovalesky
Career Coach, University of Utah
Location is a very personal factor in the job search. In my experience coaching with students, the biggest consideration in a location often has to do with expenses and cost of living when it comes to location. After that, family and proximity to things that are important to them are additional factors.
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Updated January 8, 2025