Human Resources Specialist Salary in California
Human resources specialists in California earned a median of $83,500 a year ($40.14 an hour) and a mean of $95,180 in May 2025. The median is 10.0% above the U.S. median of $75,940, ranking 6th of 54 states and territories, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $83,500
- Median hourly
- $40.14
- Mean annual
- $95,180
- Jobs on record
- 104,000
Grey needle: U.S. median, $75,940 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does California compare on pay for human resources specialists?
California ranks 6th of 54 states and territories. District of Columbia is highest at $110,970, $27,470 more than the California median.
| State | Rank | Median | Against U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4 | $84,380 | +11% | 54,610 |
| Maryland | 5 | $83,910 | +10% | 15,530 |
| California | 6 | $83,500 | +10% | 104,000 |
| Connecticut | 7 | $82,890 | +9% | 9,010 |
| Virginia | 8 | $82,090 | +8% | 28,540 |
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 54 states and territories with a published figure. See every state.
Does California pay go further after prices?
Prices in California run 10.7% above the U.S. average, so the $83,500 median buys about what $75,415 buys at average U.S. prices, below the $75,940 U.S. median. On this measure California ranks 22nd of 51, down from 6th before the adjustment.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. The adjustment divides pay by the state's price level.
Which areas in California pay human resources specialists the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest at $112,140, 34.3% above the California median.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Every area BLS lists for this job in California is shown; an area that crosses state lines is listed under the first state in its BLS title.
How many human resources specialists work in California?
BLS counts 104,000 jobs in California, 11.4% of the 912,430 in the U.S. That is the largest count among the 54 states and territories with a published figure. That is 5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in California, a location quotient of 0.97: the occupation's share of local jobs is 0.97 times its national share, so it is about as concentrated here as in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025 and national file.
Related jobs in California
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS state file, May 2025.