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Senior director human resources salary

Average senior director human resources salary

$148,930

$71.6 hourly rate

Entry-level senior director human resources salary
$106,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Senior Director of Human Resources Salary

The average salary for a Senior Director of Human Resources is approximately $148,930 per year. However, this figure can fluctuate based on various factors including geographic location, years of experience, and industry sector. For instance, those in metropolitan areas often earn higher salaries due to increased demand for HR leadership.

Salary by State

States such as California and New York typically offer the highest salaries for this role, reflecting the cost of living and industry standards. Conversely, salaries in states with lower living costs may be more modest.

Opportunities for Advancement

As a Senior Director of Human Resources, career advancement opportunities abound. With experience, professionals can transition into executive roles or specialize in areas such as talent acquisition or organizational development.

Conclusion

For those considering a career as a Senior Director of Human Resources, understanding salary dynamics is crucial. By analyzing regional data and industry trends, you can better position yourself for a successful career path in HR leadership.

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Where can a Senior Director Human Resources earn more?

Compare salary by location
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209k
189k
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Columbus, OH$190,777
Memphis, TN$139,378
Compare salary by company
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New London Hospital$211,048
Sodexo Management, Inc.$171,819

Average senior director human resources salary by state

The average senior director human resources salary in Washington, Maine, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior director human resources salary states are Kentucky, Ohio, and South Carolina.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior directors human resources

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$184,998$88.94
2Alaska$184,043$88.48
3Massachusetts$173,815$83.56
4Pennsylvania$173,157$83.25
5Arizona$163,329$78.52
6New Jersey$174,160$83.73
7Minnesota$172,588$82.97
8Maine$184,227$88.57
9Rhode Island$161,122$77.46
10Alabama$151,622$72.90
11New York$164,119$78.90
12North Carolina$159,835$76.84
13Illinois$158,735$76.31
14West Virginia$144,164$69.31
15California$162,464$78.11
16Texas$156,658$75.32
17Delaware$154,106$74.09
18Virginia$155,938$74.97
19District of Columbia$155,478$74.75
20Montana$150,874$72.54
21Georgia$150,511$72.36
22Iowa$152,624$73.38
23Oregon$148,437$71.36
24Connecticut$149,827$72.03
25Mississippi$138,448$66.56
26Nevada$145,167$69.79
27Vermont$143,701$69.09
28New Hampshire$146,201$70.29
29Utah$145,305$69.86
30South Dakota$135,017$64.91
31Wyoming$145,567$69.98
32North Dakota$147,210$70.77
33Oklahoma$136,144$65.45
34Arkansas$139,804$67.21
35Tennessee$140,940$67.76
36Maryland$151,767$72.96
37Colorado$140,580$67.59
38Hawaii$124,388$59.80
39Indiana$137,544$66.13
40South Carolina$125,008$60.10
41Kansas$136,077$65.42
42New Mexico$139,589$67.11
43Louisiana$123,229$59.24
44Wisconsin$128,750$61.90
45Idaho$133,789$64.32
46Florida$137,238$65.98
47Ohio$127,870$61.48
48Michigan$129,478$62.25
49Nebraska$128,718$61.88
50Kentucky$128,319$61.69
51Missouri$121,361$58.35
Top senior director human resources jobs near you

Highest paying cities for senior directors human resources

The highest-paying cities for senior directors human resources are Seattle, WA, Portland, ME, and Cambridge, MA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Seattle, WA$190,777$91.72
2Portland, ME$187,808$90.29
3Cambridge, MA$176,585$84.90
4Philadelphia, PA$175,705$84.47
5Bloomington, MN$174,089$83.70
6San Francisco, CA$171,832$82.61
7Rochester, NY$167,468$80.51
8Providence, RI$162,435$78.09
9Charlotte, NC$160,308$77.07
10Schaumburg, IL$160,112$76.98
11Pasadena, TX$158,984$76.43
12McLean, VA$157,634$75.79
13Washington, DC$156,366$75.18
14Baltimore, MD$152,575$73.35
15Huntsville, AL$151,561$72.87
16Atlanta, GA$150,856$72.53
17Stamford, CT$149,368$71.81
18Portland, OR$148,999$71.63
19Loveland, CO$141,244$67.91
20Memphis, TN$139,378$67.01

Senior director human resources salary details

A senior director human resources's salary ranges from $106,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $207,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average senior director human resources salary graph
Average senior director human resources salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a senior director human resources's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$207,000$17,250$100
75th Percentile$177,000$14,750$85
Average$148,930$12,411$72
25th Percentile$125,000$10,417$60
10th Percentile$106,000$8,833$51

Highest paying senior director human resources jobs

The highest paying types of senior directors human resources are human resources vice president, senior director, and senior human resources manager.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Employee Relations Manager$81,465$6,789$39.1741,544
Human Resources Administration Manager$76,637$6,386$36.8447,008
Human Resources Generalist/Manager$77,353$6,446$37.1946,682
Human Resources Recruiter/Manager$78,339$6,528$37.6675,365
Human Resources Business Partner$86,363$7,197$41.52103,520
Human Resources Vice President$169,647$14,137$81.5674,729

Top companies hiring senior directors human resources now:

  1. Kellogg jobs (7)
  2. Walmart jobs (10)
  3. ADP jobs (10)
  4. Sysco jobs (6)
  5. U.S. Cellular jobs (4)

Which companies pay senior directors human resources the most?

Senior director human resources salaries at New London Hospital and Kaiser Permanente are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior director human resources salary at companies like Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Queen's College are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1New London Hospital$211,048$101.47
2Kaiser Permanente$195,047$93.77
3Cooley Dickinson Hospital$190,510$91.59
4Queen's College$185,500$89.18
5Ross Stores$183,860$88.39
6Novo Nordisk$182,829$87.90
7PTC Therapeutics$181,612$87.31
8Vidant Health$179,952$86.52
9Daiichi Sankyo$178,420$85.78
10Care New England Health System$174,649$83.97
11Qualcomm$174,143$83.72
12Ferrotec$173,642$83.48
13Eiger BioPharmaceuticals$173,287$83.31
14Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc$172,472$82.92
15Freenome$172,472$82.92
16*n/a*$172,388$82.88
17VidMob$172,211$82.79
18MUSEUM.COM$172,024$82.70
19Octapharma Plasma$171,994$82.69
20Sodexo Management, Inc.$171,819$82.61

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$155,000$152,800$150,600$148,400$146,200$144,000
MaleFemale

Senior Director Human Resources salary by industry

The average senior director human resources salary varies across industries:

  • The average senior director human resources salary in the telecommunication industry is $170,299, the highest of any industry.
  • The average senior director human resources salary in the finance industry is $164,369.
  • Senior directors human resources in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $135,582, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for senior directors human resources

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Telecommunication$170,299$81.87
2Pharmaceutical$164,369$79.02
3Transportation$158,493$76.20
4Manufacturing$153,957$74.02
5Technology$148,094$71.20
6Professional$147,487$70.91
7Hospitality$146,612$70.49
8Health Care$142,162$68.35
9Non Profits$135,582$65.18

High paying senior director human resources jobs

Senior director human resources salary trends

The average senior director human resources salary has risen by $27,140 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior director human resources earned $121,790 annually, but today, they earn $148,930 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for senior directors human resources over the last decade.

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

Average senior director human resources salary over time

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

Senior director human resources salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$149,000$71.60+3.7%
2025$143,000$68.94+2.9%
2024$139,000$66.92+2.8%
2023$135,000$65.04+2.9%
2022$131,000$63.15+2.3%

Recently added senior director human resources salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
LytxSenior Director, Global Human ResourcesSan Diego, CA06/30/2025$210,500
NintendoSR DIR, HR Business PartnersRedmond, WA06/29/2025$202,800
Eli Lilly and CompanySR. Director-Hr Strategic Business Partner-Lilly Manufacturing SiteGas City, IN06/27/2025$150,000
Another SourceSenior Director, Human Resources-Crisis ConnectionsSeattle, WA06/21/2025$150,000
Grocery Outlet CorpSR. Director, HR-Supply Chain & StoresEmeryville, CA06/20/2025$175,000
BiovireSenior Director, Human ResourcesBrighton, MI06/19/2025$130,000
CuraleafSR Director, Human Resources-Corporate FunctionsStamford, CT06/12/2025$170,000
Third Rock VenturesSenior Director, Human Resources Business Partner (Commercial & Medical Affairs)Redwood City, CA06/10/2025$236,000
KohlerSR. Director HR, Global ManufacturingKohler, WI06/08/2025$187,000
Bryllan LLCSenior Director, Human ResourcesBrighton, MI06/03/2025$130,000

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