Post job

Senior human resources generalist salary

Quoted expert
Sarah DeArmond Ph.D.

Average senior human resources generalist salary

$72,512

$34.86 hourly rate

Entry-level senior human resources generalist salary
$54,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Senior Human Resources Generalist Salaries

The average salary for a Senior Human Resources Generalist in the United States is approximately $72,512 annually, which translates to about $35 per hour. This position typically requires significant experience, often ranging from 5 to 10 years, and offers opportunities for advancement in various industries such as healthcare, finance, and technology.

Salary Variations by State

Salary ranges can vary significantly depending on geographic location. States like California, New York, and Texas frequently report higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled HR professionals. For instance, California often features the highest salaries, with averages exceeding $80,000.

Industry Insights

Industries such as technology and healthcare not only offer competitive salaries but also robust benefits packages, making them attractive for Senior HR Generalists. These roles are vital in fostering a positive work environment, addressing employee concerns, and implementing effective HR strategies.

With the evolving workplace landscape, pursuing a career as a Senior Human Resources Generalist presents numerous opportunities for growth and impact in organizations.

On this page
Senior human resources generalist salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next senior human resources generalist job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next senior human resources generalist job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Senior Human Resources Generalist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
98k
78k
58k
38k
Columbus, OH$86,723
Charlotte, NC$68,348
Compare salary by company
Vs
138k
118k
98k
78k
58k
PitchBook Data$118,623
Rich Products$87,674

Senior human resources generalist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a senior human resources generalist typically falls between $72,512 and $81,250.
zippia
$72,512yearly
indeed[1]
$75,995yearly
comparably[2]
$79,949yearly
Salary.com[3]
$75,850yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$81,250yearly

Average senior human resources generalist salary by state

The highest-paying states for senior human resources generalists are Nevada, Connecticut, and New York. The lowest average senior human resources generalist salary states are Arkansas, Vermont, and Oklahoma.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior human resources generalists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Nevada$88,100$42.36
2New York$85,045$40.89
3Connecticut$86,347$41.51
4Washington$80,275$38.59
5Arizona$76,939$36.99
6Oregon$77,916$37.46
7Delaware$76,573$36.81
8Massachusetts$78,634$37.80
9Rhode Island$76,638$36.85
10Montana$71,718$34.48
11Pennsylvania$71,968$34.60
12Wyoming$70,877$34.08
13District of Columbia$77,756$37.38
14California$79,211$38.08
15Iowa$74,405$35.77
16Illinois$73,440$35.31
17Michigan$70,159$33.73
18Minnesota$70,766$34.02
19Utah$70,005$33.66
20Wisconsin$69,325$33.33
21West Virginia$70,134$33.72
22Virginia$71,981$34.61
23North Carolina$69,061$33.20
24North Dakota$68,478$32.92
25Maryland$75,390$36.25
26New Jersey$73,133$35.16
27Missouri$69,520$33.42
28Indiana$68,796$33.08
29Alaska$68,681$33.02
30Maine$70,223$33.76
31Kansas$66,894$32.16
32Tennessee$66,041$31.75
33Nebraska$67,617$32.51
34Colorado$69,627$33.47
35New Mexico$69,659$33.49
36Ohio$66,080$31.77
37New Hampshire$66,323$31.89
38Alabama$67,401$32.40
39Georgia$66,038$31.75
40Vermont$63,430$30.50
41Hawaii$60,845$29.25
42Texas$65,270$31.38
43South Dakota$65,378$31.43
44Mississippi$64,508$31.01
45Arkansas$64,419$30.97
46Kentucky$61,932$29.77
47Louisiana$64,709$31.11
48Florida$64,811$31.16
49Idaho$64,878$31.19
50Oklahoma$62,726$30.16
51South Carolina$57,766$27.77
Top senior human resources generalist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for senior human resources generalists

The highest-paying cities for senior human resources generalists are Stamford, CT, Sacramento, CA, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Stamford, CT$86,723$41.69
2Sacramento, CA$86,092$41.39
3New York, NY$85,363$41.04
4Seattle, WA$80,652$38.77
5Boston, MA$78,540$37.76
6Eugene, OR$78,418$37.70
7Washington, DC$77,765$37.39
8Phoenix, AZ$77,189$37.11
9Columbia, MD$75,428$36.26
10Des Moines, IA$74,152$35.65
11Chicago, IL$73,568$35.37
12Arlington, VA$72,753$34.98
13Minneapolis, MN$70,779$34.03
14Pittsburgh, PA$70,676$33.98
15Cheyenne, WY$70,402$33.85
16West Valley City, UT$70,052$33.68
17Denver, CO$69,688$33.50
18Indianapolis, IN$68,843$33.10
19Huntsville, AL$68,441$32.90
20Charlotte, NC$68,348$32.86

Senior human resources generalist salary details

A senior human resources generalist's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $96,000 at the 90th percentile.

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

What is a senior human resources generalist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$96,000$8,000$46
75th Percentile$84,000$7,000$40
Average$72,512$6,043$35
25th Percentile$62,000$5,167$30
10th Percentile$54,000$4,500$26

Highest paying senior human resources generalist jobs

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

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Human Resources Administration Manager$76,637$6,386$36.8447,008
Human Resources Coordinator$44,074$3,673$21.1953,322
Human Resources Vice President$169,647$14,137$81.5674,729
Human Resources Recruiter/Manager$78,339$6,528$37.6675,365
Human Resources Business Partner$86,363$7,197$41.52103,520
Human Resource Advisor$78,852$6,571$37.9184,607

How would you rate the starting salaries for senior human resources generalists, 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 senior human resources generalists now:

  1. Citi jobs (59)
  2. Dell jobs (21)
  3. Fiserv jobs (20)
  4. Eaton jobs (24)
  5. Halliburton jobs (21)

Which companies pay senior human resources generalists the most?

Senior human resources generalist salaries at PitchBook Data and McKinsey & Company Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior human resources generalist salary at companies like RSM US and Citi are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1PitchBook Data$118,623$57.03
2McKinsey & Company Inc$107,062$51.47
3RSM US$104,791$50.38
4Citi$102,800$49.42
5ResMed$99,067$47.63
6MUFG EMEA$97,410$46.83
7Abbott$96,923$46.60
8REV Group$96,066$46.19
9NuVasive$93,219$44.82
10Activision Blizzard$91,890$44.18
11Dell$91,392$43.94
12Morgan Stanley$90,933$43.72
13Jacobs Vehicle Systems$90,812$43.66
14Northwell Health$89,241$42.90
15FormFactor$88,519$42.56
16TreeHouse Foods$88,245$42.43
17Rockwell Automation$88,177$42.39
18Stanley Black & Decker$87,723$42.17
19Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd.$87,679$42.15
20Rich Products$87,674$42.15

Wage gap by gender, race and education

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

Senior Human Resources Generalist salary by industry

The average senior human resources generalist salary varies across industries:

  • The average senior human resources generalist salary in the finance industry is $81,014, the highest of any industry.
  • The average senior human resources generalist salary in the finance industry is $80,176.
  • Senior human resources generalists in the health care industry earn an average salary of $68,562, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for senior human resources generalists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Finance$81,014$38.95
2Energy$80,176$38.55
3Technology$77,554$37.29
4Manufacturing$76,773$36.91
5Automotive$76,046$36.56
6Transportation$72,299$34.76
7Hospitality$71,442$34.35
8Professional$70,656$33.97
9Health Care$68,562$32.96

High paying senior human resources generalist jobs

Senior human resources generalist salary trends

The average senior human resources generalist salary has risen by $13,214 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior human resources generalist earned $59,298 annually, but today, they earn $72,512 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for senior human resources generalists over the last decade.

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

Average senior human resources generalist salary over time

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

Senior human resources generalist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$72,500$34.86+3.7%
2024$69,800$33.57+2.9%
2023$67,800$32.58+2.8%
2022$65,900$31.67+2.9%
2021$64,000$30.75+2.3%

Recently added senior human resources generalist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Polaris IndustriesSenior HR GeneralistWyoming06/30/2025$82,000
Cushman & Wakefield Inc.Senior HR GeneralistChatham, IL06/30/2025$90,000
Caesars EntertainmentHR Generalist/SR. HR GeneralistShelbyville, IN06/29/2025$50,000
Lennox InternationalSR. HR GeneralistStone Mountain, GA06/29/2025$78,000
StaffbuffaloSR. HR GeneralistAmherst, NY06/28/2025$75,000
Precision Castparts CorporationSR. HR GeneralistGardena, CA06/27/2025$90,000
Strong HoldSenior Human Resource GeneralistDallas, TX06/27/2025$80,000
Truly FreeSR. HR GeneralistBowne, MI06/27/2025$65,000
Nextworld LLCSenior Human Resources GeneralistPark City, KS06/27/2025$90,000
Staffmark GroupSenior Human Resources GeneralistJonesboro, AR06/26/2025$80,000

Senior human resources generalist salary FAQs

Search for senior human resources generalist jobs

Browse executive management jobs