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Best states for a human resources manager
Quoted expert
Jamie Belinne
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Human resources manager opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for human resources managers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for human resources managers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for human resources managers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for human resources manager 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 managers.If you are currently seeking employment as a human resources manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for human resources managers in 2026
1. Washington
Total human resources manager jobs: 558 Average annual salary: $95,730 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
2. New York
Total human resources manager jobs: 1,001 Average annual salary: $90,216 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
3. Nevada
Total human resources manager jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $82,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. California
Total human resources manager jobs: 2,318 Average annual salary: $89,937 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
5. Connecticut
Total human resources manager jobs: 233 Average annual salary: $85,399 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
6. Delaware
Total human resources manager jobs: 106 Average annual salary: $79,738 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
7. Rhode Island
Total human resources manager jobs: 79 Average annual salary: $82,700 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
8. Pennsylvania
Total human resources manager jobs: 755 Average annual salary: $80,474 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
9. Massachusetts
Total human resources manager jobs: 680 Average annual salary: $82,675 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
10. Minnesota
Total human resources manager jobs: 447 Average annual salary: $80,271 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Human resources manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a human resources manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a human resources manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $95,730 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 558 |
| 2 | New York | $90,216 | $62,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,001 |
| 3 | Nevada | $82,410 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 156 |
| 4 | California | $89,937 | $60,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,318 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $85,399 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 233 |
| 6 | Delaware | $79,738 | $55,000 | 961,939 | 106 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $82,700 | $57,000 | 1,059,639 | 79 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $80,474 | $55,000 | 12,805,537 | 755 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $82,675 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 680 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $80,271 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 447 |
| 11 | Ohio | $78,869 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 658 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $89,402 | $62,000 | 9,005,644 | 462 |
| 13 | Vermont | $77,872 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 64 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $77,826 | $54,000 | 1,342,795 | 130 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $79,765 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 198 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $79,539 | $55,000 | 1,815,857 | 78 |
| 17 | Michigan | $78,070 | $54,000 | 9,962,311 | 484 |
| 18 | Oregon | $77,871 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 323 |
| 19 | Illinois | $77,628 | $54,000 | 12,802,023 | 897 |
| 20 | Arizona | $75,591 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 456 |
| 21 | Virginia | $78,899 | $54,000 | 8,470,020 | 625 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $75,769 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 366 |
| 23 | Indiana | $77,510 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 337 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $74,652 | $52,000 | 4,454,189 | 228 |
| 25 | Kansas | $72,382 | $51,000 | 2,913,123 | 212 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $75,229 | $52,000 | 869,666 | 62 |
| 27 | Alaska | $74,132 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 63 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $73,269 | $50,000 | 755,393 | 60 |
| 29 | Maryland | $78,607 | $54,000 | 6,052,177 | 388 |
| 30 | Texas | $73,748 | $49,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,225 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $69,042 | $48,000 | 6,715,984 | 383 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $67,782 | $47,000 | 579,315 | 48 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $65,519 | $53,000 | 1,427,538 | 73 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $73,757 | $50,000 | 2,088,070 | 99 |
| 35 | Idaho | $72,566 | $49,000 | 1,716,943 | 95 |
| 36 | Utah | $70,129 | $48,000 | 3,101,833 | 198 |
| 37 | Colorado | $70,480 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 394 |
| 38 | Montana | $66,503 | $45,000 | 1,050,493 | 87 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $67,518 | $46,000 | 10,273,419 | 639 |
| 40 | Georgia | $67,738 | $45,000 | 10,429,379 | 703 |
| 41 | Missouri | $69,872 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 339 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $65,282 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 147 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $67,738 | $47,000 | 3,004,279 | 143 |
| 44 | Iowa | $67,984 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 200 |
| 45 | Maine | $66,601 | $47,000 | 1,335,907 | 80 |
| 46 | Alabama | $66,637 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 191 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $61,045 | $41,000 | 5,024,369 | 271 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $60,583 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 125 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $63,254 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 160 |
| 50 | Florida | $59,508 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 823 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $58,735 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 161 |
Highest paying states for human resources managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Human Resources Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $95,730 |
| 2 | New York | $90,216 |
| 3 | Nevada | $82,410 |
| 4 | California | $89,937 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $85,399 |
| 6 | Delaware | $79,738 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $82,700 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $80,474 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $82,675 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $80,271 |
| 11 | Ohio | $78,869 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $89,402 |
| 13 | Vermont | $77,872 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $77,826 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $79,765 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $79,539 |
| 17 | Michigan | $78,070 |
| 18 | Oregon | $77,871 |
| 19 | Illinois | $77,628 |
| 20 | Arizona | $75,591 |
| 21 | Virginia | $78,899 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $75,769 |
| 23 | Indiana | $77,510 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $74,652 |
| 25 | Kansas | $72,382 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $75,229 |
| 27 | Alaska | $74,132 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $73,269 |
| 29 | Maryland | $78,607 |
| 30 | Texas | $73,748 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $69,042 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $67,782 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $65,519 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $73,757 |
| 35 | Idaho | $72,566 |
| 36 | Utah | $70,129 |
| 37 | Colorado | $70,480 |
| 38 | Montana | $66,503 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $67,518 |
| 40 | Georgia | $67,738 |
| 41 | Missouri | $69,872 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $65,282 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $67,738 |
| 44 | Iowa | $67,984 |
| 45 | Maine | $66,601 |
| 46 | Alabama | $66,637 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $61,045 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $60,583 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $63,254 |
| 50 | Florida | $59,508 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $58,735 |
Expert opinions on the best states for human resources managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for human resources managers 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.
Human resources manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025