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Generalist salary
Average generalist salary
$46,518
Understanding Generalist Salaries
The average salary for a generalist stands at $46,518 per year or approximately $22 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on various factors, including geographical location, industry, and levels of experience. In states like California and New York, salaries tend to be higher due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
Salary by State
For instance, states such as Washington and Massachusetts offer some of the highest salaries for generalists, with averages exceeding $50,000. Conversely, states with lower living costs, like Mississippi and Arkansas, may offer lower average salaries.
Top Cities for Generalists
Major cities also impact salary potential. Cities like San Francisco and New York City consistently rank among the highest paying locations for generalists, with salaries often exceeding $60,000. As you navigate your career path as a generalist, consider these factors to maximize your earning potential.
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Where can a Generalist earn more?
Average generalist salary by state
The highest-paying states for generalists are California, Arizona, and Alaska. The lowest average generalist salary states are Georgia, Oklahoma, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for generalists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $58,709 | $28.23 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $52,707 | $25.34 |
| 3 | Arizona | $53,700 | $25.82 |
| 4 | Oregon | $51,408 | $24.72 |
| 5 | Ohio | $49,913 | $24.00 |
| 6 | Alaska | $53,554 | $25.75 |
| 7 | New York | $52,469 | $25.23 |
| 8 | Montana | $45,797 | $22.02 |
| 9 | Washington | $48,315 | $23.23 |
| 10 | Iowa | $43,423 | $20.88 |
| 11 | Nevada | $44,186 | $21.24 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $49,093 | $23.60 |
| 13 | Michigan | $44,033 | $21.17 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $50,508 | $24.28 |
| 15 | Utah | $44,880 | $21.58 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $42,726 | $20.54 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $44,925 | $21.60 |
| 18 | Illinois | $44,865 | $21.57 |
| 19 | Delaware | $47,826 | $22.99 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $46,984 | $22.59 |
| 21 | Virginia | $45,505 | $21.88 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $40,689 | $19.56 |
| 23 | Texas | $42,819 | $20.59 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $44,035 | $21.17 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $43,343 | $20.84 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $44,130 | $21.22 |
| 27 | Indiana | $40,609 | $19.52 |
| 28 | Maine | $42,033 | $20.21 |
| 29 | Maryland | $44,262 | $21.28 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $45,206 | $21.73 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $40,929 | $19.68 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $41,700 | $20.05 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $39,274 | $18.88 |
| 34 | Vermont | $39,185 | $18.84 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $39,483 | $18.98 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $37,568 | $18.06 |
| 37 | Idaho | $42,165 | $20.27 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $42,018 | $20.20 |
| 39 | Kansas | $38,833 | $18.67 |
| 40 | Colorado | $41,075 | $19.75 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $39,228 | $18.86 |
| 42 | Georgia | $36,959 | $17.77 |
| 43 | Missouri | $37,762 | $18.15 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $37,072 | $17.82 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $38,640 | $18.58 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $37,983 | $18.26 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $36,155 | $17.38 |
| 48 | Alabama | $36,714 | $17.65 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $36,812 | $17.70 |
| 50 | Florida | $34,591 | $16.63 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $34,930 | $16.79 |
Highest paying cities for generalists
The highest-paying cities for generalists are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $61,811 | $29.72 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $52,511 | $25.25 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $51,392 | $24.71 |
| 4 | Vancouver, WA | $48,816 | $23.47 |
| 5 | Cincinnati, OH | $46,951 | $22.57 |
| 6 | Newport News, VA | $45,413 | $21.83 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $45,127 | $21.70 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $44,980 | $21.63 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $44,583 | $21.43 |
| 10 | Warren, MI | $44,315 | $21.31 |
| 11 | Boston, MA | $44,003 | $21.16 |
| 12 | Wausau, WI | $43,895 | $21.10 |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $43,473 | $20.90 |
| 14 | Ankeny, IA | $43,181 | $20.76 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $42,796 | $20.57 |
| 16 | Scranton, PA | $41,208 | $19.81 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | $41,042 | $19.73 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $39,275 | $18.88 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | $38,967 | $18.73 |
| 20 | Kansas City, KS | $38,836 | $18.67 |
Generalist salary details
A generalist's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a generalist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| Average | $46,518 | $3,877 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying generalist jobs
The highest paying types of generalists are human resources vice president, recruitment director, and senior human resources manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Vice President | $169,647 | $14,137 | $81.56 | 74,729 |
| Human Resource Officer | $89,540 | $7,462 | $43.05 | 101,221 |
| Human Resources Business Partner | $86,363 | $7,197 | $41.52 | 103,520 |
| Regional Human Resources Manager | $88,466 | $7,372 | $42.53 | 63,987 |
| Human Resources Lead | $102,531 | $8,544 | $49.29 | 48,122 |
| Human Resources Consultant | $71,882 | $5,990 | $34.56 | 52,761 |
Top companies hiring generalists now:
Which companies pay generalists the most?
Generalist salaries at Meta and Citi are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average generalist salary at companies like PayPal and Amphenol are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $123,517 | $59.38 |
| 2 | Citi | $94,167 | $45.27 |
| 3 | PayPal | $93,081 | $44.75 |
| 4 | Amphenol | $85,155 | $40.94 |
| 5 | First Republic Bank | $85,112 | $40.92 |
| 6 | Wabtec Corporation | $82,073 | $39.46 |
| 7 | The Citadel | $80,122 | $38.52 |
| 8 | Morgan Stanley | $78,203 | $37.60 |
| 9 | General Dynamics Mission Systems | $77,080 | $37.06 |
| 10 | Ford Motor | $76,172 | $36.62 |
| 11 | $76,169 | $36.62 | |
| 12 | Interactive Brokers | $74,993 | $36.05 |
| 13 | DTCC | $73,741 | $35.45 |
| 14 | University of California | $72,865 | $35.03 |
| 15 | D. E. Shaw group | $72,686 | $34.95 |
| 16 | Daimler Trucks North America | $69,116 | $33.23 |
| 17 | Bain & Company | $69,044 | $33.19 |
| 18 | Credit Suisse | $68,723 | $33.04 |
| 19 | RSM US | $68,090 | $32.74 |
| 20 | Edward Jones | $67,956 | $32.67 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Generalist salary by industry
The average generalist salary varies across industries:
- The average generalist salary in the finance industry is $53,008, the highest of any industry.
- The average generalist salary in the finance industry is $49,162.
- Generalists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,783, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for generalists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $53,008 | $25.48 |
| 2 | Media | $49,162 | $23.64 |
| 3 | Health Care | $48,445 | $23.29 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $41,797 | $20.09 |
| 5 | Retail | $36,783 | $17.68 |
High paying generalist jobs
Generalist salary trends
The average generalist salary has risen by $8,477 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average generalist earned $38,041 annually, but today, they earn $46,518 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for generalists over the last decade.
Compare generalist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average generalist salary over time
Compare generalist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Generalist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,500 | $22.36 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $44,800 | $21.53 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $43,500 | $20.90 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $42,300 | $20.32 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $41,000 | $19.72 | +2.3% |
Recently added generalist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ccg Business Solutions | Maintenance Generalist-Second Shift | Council Bluffs, IA | 06/29/2025 | $48,001 |
| Powell's Books | Generalist I or Generalist II-Cedar Hills Crossing | Portland, OR | 06/29/2025 | $34,018 |
| East Fork Pottery | Production Generalist 1 | Asheville, NC | 06/29/2025 | $45,914 |
| DNV | Senior Generalist Surveyor-Healthcare | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Coraltreehospitality | People Services Generalist | Englewood, CO | 06/29/2025 | $64,697 |
| Manpowergroup | Warehouse Generalist I | Roseville, CA | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Petco Holdings | Solutions Generalist | Missoula, MT | 06/28/2025 | $29,218 |
| Petco Holdings | Solutions Generalist | Hamilton, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $32,328 |
| Petco Holdings | Solutions Generalist | Tulsa, OK | 06/28/2025 | $29,218 |
| Petco Holdings | Solutions Generalist | Media, PA | 06/28/2025 | $29,218 |
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