How much does a human resources consultant make?

The average human resources consultant salary in the United States is $71,882. Human resources consultant salaries typically range between $53,000 and $95,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for human resources consultants is $34.56 per hour. Human resources consultant salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Human resources consultants earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

Human resources consultant salary

Q: What state pays Human Resources Consultants the most?

New Jersey pays Human Resources Consultants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $86,291 per year, or $41.49 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a human resources consultant?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a human resources consultant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New Jersey you should be paid close to $85,090 per year.

Q: Do HR consultants make a lot of money?

Yes, HR consultants can make a lot of money. An HR consultant's salary can range anywhere from under $30,000 to over $110,000 in a year. However, the average salary for a human resources consultant is around $65,000 in a year.

Q: How much do freelance HR consultants make?

Freelance HR consultants make a salary ranging from under $30,000 to over $110,000 in a year. However, the average salary for a freelance human resources consultant is around $65,000 in a year.

Q: How much do human resources consultants make?

Human resources consultants make anywhere from under $30,000 to over $110,000 in a year. However, the average salary for a human resources consultant is around $65,000 in a year. A human resources consultant's salary varies significantly depending on several factors. These factors include anything from the level of education and experience, the company they work for, and the industry they work in. Location and manner of employment can also impact the salary.

Q: Is HR consulting a good career?

Yes, HR consulting is a good career. Becoming a human resources consultant is a great career path with interesting work, daily challenges, professional independence, and a steady job market.

Quoted expert

Sarah DeArmond Ph.D.

Average human resources consultant salary

$71,882

$34.56 hourly rate

Entry-level human resources consultant salary

$53,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Average Human Resources Consultant Salary

The average salary for a Human Resources Consultant is approximately $71,882 per year or $35 per hour. This figure reflects national trends and can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For instance, consultants with extensive experience or those in high-demand regions may command higher salaries.

Salary by State

Understanding salary expectations by state is crucial. States like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Here’s a quick overview of average salaries by state:

California: $80,000
New York: $78,000
Texas: $68,000
Florida: $66,000

Consultant Opportunities

Human Resources Consultants are increasingly sought after in various sectors, including healthcare, technology, and finance. As organizations prioritize employee wellbeing and effective HR practices, the demand for knowledgeable consultants continues to grow.

On this page

Human resources consultant salary by:

Let Zippi find your next human resources consultant job

Let Zippi find your next human resources consultant job

Where can a Human Resources Consultant earn more?

Compare salary by location

99k

79k

59k

39k

Columbus, OH$86,344

Kansas City, KS$68,967

Compare salary by company

137k

117k

97k

77k

57k

Eli Lilly and Company$109,907

Guidehouse$86,874

Human resources consultant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com and Glassdoor, the average salary for a human resources consultant typically falls between $71,882 and $128,547.

zippia

$71,882yearly

glassdoor[1]

$127,900yearly

Salary.com[2]

$128,547yearly

Average human resources consultant salary by state

The highest-paying states for human resources consultants are New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. The lowest average human resources consultant salary states are Hawaii, Mississippi, and Idaho.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for human resources consultants

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Indiana	$75,273	$36.19
2	Massachusetts	$82,864	$39.84
3	Wisconsin	$80,867	$38.88
4	District of Columbia	$86,291	$41.49
5	New Jersey	$85,090	$40.91
6	Ohio	$76,458	$36.76
7	Texas	$76,872	$36.96
8	Rhode Island	$75,143	$36.13
9	Pennsylvania	$74,444	$35.79
10	Georgia	$75,778	$36.43
11	Virginia	$77,254	$37.14
12	Arizona	$73,809	$35.49
13	Connecticut	$76,152	$36.61
14	Illinois	$73,427	$35.30
15	Nevada	$72,330	$34.77
16	Vermont	$72,196	$34.71
17	Michigan	$72,820	$35.01
18	California	$74,628	$35.88
19	Oklahoma	$68,697	$33.03
20	Delaware	$72,827	$35.01
21	Oregon	$71,994	$34.61
22	Utah	$71,037	$34.15
23	Louisiana	$73,972	$35.56
24	Alabama	$67,035	$32.23
25	New Mexico	$73,456	$35.32
26	South Dakota	$66,441	$31.94
27	Maryland	$75,216	$36.16
28	Kansas	$68,952	$33.15
29	New York	$70,689	$33.99
30	Kentucky	$69,362	$33.35
31	Iowa	$70,117	$33.71
32	Missouri	$70,061	$33.68
33	West Virginia	$68,745	$33.05
34	New Hampshire	$67,127	$32.27
35	Mississippi	$61,488	$29.56
36	Alaska	$65,487	$31.48
37	North Carolina	$65,854	$31.66
38	Tennessee	$65,733	$31.60
39	Minnesota	$65,767	$31.62
40	Colorado	$67,828	$32.61
41	Hawaii	$61,761	$29.69
42	North Dakota	$65,135	$31.31
43	South Carolina	$66,323	$31.89
44	Washington	$62,234	$29.92
45	Montana	$59,812	$28.76
46	Wyoming	$61,160	$29.40
47	Nebraska	$62,570	$30.08
48	Maine	$63,642	$30.60
49	Idaho	$61,444	$29.54
50	Florida	$62,466	$30.03
51	Arkansas	$60,999	$29.33

Top human resources consultant jobs near you

Highest paying cities for human resources consultants

The highest-paying cities for human resources consultants are Washington, DC, New Brunswick, NJ, and Boston, MA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington, DC	$86,344	$41.51
2	New Brunswick, NJ	$85,150	$40.94
3	Boston, MA	$82,726	$39.77
4	Milwaukee, WI	$81,207	$39.04
5	San Francisco, CA	$78,404	$37.69
6	Arlington, VA	$77,727	$37.37
7	Austin, TX	$77,127	$37.08
8	Cleveland, OH	$76,674	$36.86
9	Atlanta, GA	$75,749	$36.42
10	Indianapolis, IN	$75,375	$36.24
11	Columbia, MD	$75,199	$36.15
12	Philadelphia, PA	$74,949	$36.03
13	Phoenix, AZ	$73,852	$35.51
14	Chicago, IL	$73,654	$35.41
15	Albuquerque, NM	$73,539	$35.36
16	Detroit, MI	$73,066	$35.13
17	New York, NY	$71,086	$34.18
18	Saint Louis, MO	$70,499	$33.89
19	Des Moines, IA	$69,928	$33.62
20	Kansas City, KS	$68,967	$33.16

Human resources consultant salary details

A human resources consultant's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average human resources consultant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a human resources consultant's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$95,000	$7,917	$46
75th Percentile	$83,000	$6,917	$40
Average	$71,882	$5,990	$35
25th Percentile	$61,000	$5,083	$29
10th Percentile	$53,000	$4,417	$25

Highest paying human resources consultant jobs

The highest paying types of human resources consultants are human resources vice president, senior human resources manager, and human resources lead.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Regional Human Resources Manager	$88,466	$7,372	$42.53	63,987
Human Resource Officer	$89,540	$7,462	$43.05	101,221
Human Resources Supervisor	$64,757	$5,396	$31.13	46,523
Human Resource Advisor	$78,852	$6,571	$37.91	84,607
Human Resources Recruiter/Manager	$78,339	$6,528	$37.66	75,365
Human Resources Vice President	$169,647	$14,137	$81.56	74,729

How would you rate the starting salaries for human resources consultants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Sarah DeArmond Ph.D.

Management and Human Resources Department Chair, Professor of Human Resource Management, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Before the pandemic, starting salary prospects were quite positive in human resource management. I expect to see salaries down a bit. Generally, companies have a slight edge now in salary negotiations, as there is more available talent than may have been the case before the pandemic. However, there have not been as significant of job losses in human resource management as has been the case in some other fields (e.g., hospitality management).

Top companies hiring human resources consultants now:

Which companies pay human resources consultants the most?

Human resources consultant salaries at Eli Lilly and Company and Cisco are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average human resources consultant salary at companies like Microsoft and Censeo Consulting are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Eli Lilly and Company	$109,907	$52.84
2	Cisco	$109,244	$52.52
3	Microsoft	$108,813	$52.31
4	Censeo Consulting	$105,784	$50.86
5	Toffler Associates	$102,874	$49.46
6	WEC Energy Group	$102,732	$49.39
7	Booz Allen Hamilton	$101,891	$48.99
8	Santander Bank	$101,707	$48.90
9	Pure Storage	$101,439	$48.77
10	SAP	$97,402	$46.83
11	BMO Capital Markets	$96,918	$46.60
12	Corning Incorporated	$92,347	$44.40
13	Caterpillar	$91,889	$44.18
14	HSBC Bank	$91,313	$43.90
15	Nokia	$90,160	$43.35
16	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	$88,941	$42.76
17	Occidental Petroleum	$87,557	$42.09
18	Deloitte	$87,213	$41.93
19	CBIZ	$87,115	$41.88
20	Guidehouse	$86,874	$41.77

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$75,000$74,000$73,000$72,000$71,000$70,000

MaleFemale

Human Resources Consultant salary by industry

The average human resources consultant salary varies across industries:

The average human resources consultant salary in the manufacturing industry is $78,879, the highest of any industry.
The average human resources consultant salary in the finance industry is $75,375.
Human resources consultants in the health care industry earn an average salary of $67,532, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for human resources consultants

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Manufacturing	$78,879	$37.92
2	Finance	$75,375	$36.24
3	Technology	$74,392	$35.77
4	Telecommunication	$73,804	$35.48
5	Professional	$72,794	$35.00
6	Retail	$68,222	$32.80
7	Health Care	$67,532	$32.47

High paying human resources consultant jobs

Human resources consultant salary trends

The average human resources consultant salary has risen by $13,099 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average human resources consultant earned $58,783 annually, but today, they earn $71,882 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for human resources consultants over the last decade.

Compare human resources consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average human resources consultant salary over time

Compare human resources consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Human resources consultant salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$71,900	$34.56	+3.7%
2024	$69,200	$33.28	+2.9%
2023	$67,200	$32.30	+2.8%
2022	$65,300	$31.39	+2.9%
2021	$63,400	$30.48	+2.3%

Recently added human resources consultant salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Slalom	Servicenow-HR Service Delivery (Hrsd) Consultant	Seattle, WA	06/29/2025	$110,000
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Oklahoma City, OK	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Montgomery, AL	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Cheyenne, WY	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Hartford, CT	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Annapolis, MD	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Indianapolis, IN	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Santa Fe, NM	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Providence, RI	06/28/2025	$44,036
CVS Health	Worklife Resource Consultant-Medicare	Madison, WI	06/28/2025	$44,036