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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.
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.
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.
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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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.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $184,998 | $88.94 |
| 2 | Alaska | $184,043 | $88.48 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $173,815 | $83.56 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $173,157 | $83.25 |
| 5 | Arizona | $163,329 | $78.52 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $174,160 | $83.73 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $172,588 | $82.97 |
| 8 | Maine | $184,227 | $88.57 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $161,122 | $77.46 |
| 10 | Alabama | $151,622 | $72.90 |
| 11 | New York | $164,119 | $78.90 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $159,835 | $76.84 |
| 13 | Illinois | $158,735 | $76.31 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $144,164 | $69.31 |
| 15 | California | $162,464 | $78.11 |
| 16 | Texas | $156,658 | $75.32 |
| 17 | Delaware | $154,106 | $74.09 |
| 18 | Virginia | $155,938 | $74.97 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $155,478 | $74.75 |
| 20 | Montana | $150,874 | $72.54 |
| 21 | Georgia | $150,511 | $72.36 |
| 22 | Iowa | $152,624 | $73.38 |
| 23 | Oregon | $148,437 | $71.36 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $149,827 | $72.03 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $138,448 | $66.56 |
| 26 | Nevada | $145,167 | $69.79 |
| 27 | Vermont | $143,701 | $69.09 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $146,201 | $70.29 |
| 29 | Utah | $145,305 | $69.86 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $135,017 | $64.91 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $145,567 | $69.98 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $147,210 | $70.77 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $136,144 | $65.45 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $139,804 | $67.21 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $140,940 | $67.76 |
| 36 | Maryland | $151,767 | $72.96 |
| 37 | Colorado | $140,580 | $67.59 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $124,388 | $59.80 |
| 39 | Indiana | $137,544 | $66.13 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $125,008 | $60.10 |
| 41 | Kansas | $136,077 | $65.42 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $139,589 | $67.11 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $123,229 | $59.24 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $128,750 | $61.90 |
| 45 | Idaho | $133,789 | $64.32 |
| 46 | Florida | $137,238 | $65.98 |
| 47 | Ohio | $127,870 | $61.48 |
| 48 | Michigan | $129,478 | $62.25 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $128,718 | $61.88 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $128,319 | $61.69 |
| 51 | Missouri | $121,361 | $58.35 |
The highest-paying cities for senior directors human resources are Seattle, WA, Portland, ME, and Cambridge, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $190,777 | $91.72 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $187,808 | $90.29 |
| 3 | Cambridge, MA | $176,585 | $84.90 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $175,705 | $84.47 |
| 5 | Bloomington, MN | $174,089 | $83.70 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $171,832 | $82.61 |
| 7 | Rochester, NY | $167,468 | $80.51 |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $162,435 | $78.09 |
| 9 | Charlotte, NC | $160,308 | $77.07 |
| 10 | Schaumburg, IL | $160,112 | $76.98 |
| 11 | Pasadena, TX | $158,984 | $76.43 |
| 12 | McLean, VA | $157,634 | $75.79 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $156,366 | $75.18 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $152,575 | $73.35 |
| 15 | Huntsville, AL | $151,561 | $72.87 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $150,856 | $72.53 |
| 17 | Stamford, CT | $149,368 | $71.81 |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $148,999 | $71.63 |
| 19 | Loveland, CO | $141,244 | $67.91 |
| 20 | Memphis, TN | $139,378 | $67.01 |
A senior director human resources's salary ranges from $106,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $207,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly 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 |
The highest paying types of senior directors human resources are human resources vice president, senior director, and senior human resources manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Relations Manager | $81,465 | $6,789 | $39.17 | 41,544 |
| Human Resources Administration Manager | $76,637 | $6,386 | $36.84 | 47,008 |
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | $77,353 | $6,446 | $37.19 | 46,682 |
| Human Resources Recruiter/Manager | $78,339 | $6,528 | $37.66 | 75,365 |
| Human Resources Business Partner | $86,363 | $7,197 | $41.52 | 103,520 |
| Human Resources Vice President | $169,647 | $14,137 | $81.56 | 74,729 |
Top companies hiring senior directors human resources now:
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.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New London Hospital | $211,048 | $101.47 |
| 2 | Kaiser Permanente | $195,047 | $93.77 |
| 3 | Cooley Dickinson Hospital | $190,510 | $91.59 |
| 4 | Queen's College | $185,500 | $89.18 |
| 5 | Ross Stores | $183,860 | $88.39 |
| 6 | Novo Nordisk | $182,829 | $87.90 |
| 7 | PTC Therapeutics | $181,612 | $87.31 |
| 8 | Vidant Health | $179,952 | $86.52 |
| 9 | Daiichi Sankyo | $178,420 | $85.78 |
| 10 | Care New England Health System | $174,649 | $83.97 |
| 11 | Qualcomm | $174,143 | $83.72 |
| 12 | Ferrotec | $173,642 | $83.48 |
| 13 | Eiger BioPharmaceuticals | $173,287 | $83.31 |
| 14 | Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc | $172,472 | $82.92 |
| 15 | Freenome | $172,472 | $82.92 |
| 16 | *n/a* | $172,388 | $82.88 |
| 17 | VidMob | $172,211 | $82.79 |
| 18 | MUSEUM.COM | $172,024 | $82.70 |
| 19 | Octapharma Plasma | $171,994 | $82.69 |
| 20 | Sodexo Management, Inc. | $171,819 | $82.61 |
The average senior director human resources salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $170,299 | $81.87 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $164,369 | $79.02 |
| 3 | Transportation | $158,493 | $76.20 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $153,957 | $74.02 |
| 5 | Technology | $148,094 | $71.20 |
| 6 | Professional | $147,487 | $70.91 |
| 7 | Hospitality | $146,612 | $70.49 |
| 8 | Health Care | $142,162 | $68.35 |
| 9 | Non Profits | $135,582 | $65.18 |
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.
Compare senior director human resources salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly 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% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lytx | Senior Director, Global Human Resources | San Diego, CA | 06/30/2025 | $210,500 |
| Nintendo | SR DIR, HR Business Partners | Redmond, WA | 06/29/2025 | $202,800 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | SR. Director-Hr Strategic Business Partner-Lilly Manufacturing Site | Gas City, IN | 06/27/2025 | $150,000 |
| Another Source | Senior Director, Human Resources-Crisis Connections | Seattle, WA | 06/21/2025 | $150,000 |
| Grocery Outlet Corp | SR. Director, HR-Supply Chain & Stores | Emeryville, CA | 06/20/2025 | $175,000 |
| Biovire | Senior Director, Human Resources | Brighton, MI | 06/19/2025 | $130,000 |
| Curaleaf | SR Director, Human Resources-Corporate Functions | Stamford, CT | 06/12/2025 | $170,000 |
| Third Rock Ventures | Senior Director, Human Resources Business Partner (Commercial & Medical Affairs) | Redwood City, CA | 06/10/2025 | $236,000 |
| Kohler | SR. Director HR, Global Manufacturing | Kohler, WI | 06/08/2025 | $187,000 |
| Bryllan LLC | Senior Director, Human Resources | Brighton, MI | 06/03/2025 | $130,000 |
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