How Much Do Human Resources Generalists Make?

Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary human resources generalists make, you've come to the right place.

Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for human resources generalists and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of human resources generalists are offering as compensation.

Keep reading to learn more about how much human resources generalists can expect to make in the United States.

At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Human Resources Generalists

According to data from 2023, there were about 960,445 positions for human resources generalists in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for human resources generalists was reported to be $67,662. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 273,193 job postings related to positions for human resources generalists.

How Much Money Do Human Resources Generalists Make?

Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money human resources generalists and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.

Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for human resources generalists.

Annual Salary for Human Resources Generalists

According to the BLS, the lowest earners for human resources generalists and related professions earned about $42,890 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $121,805 annually.

As mentioned previously, the median salary for human resources generalists in the United States in 2023 was $67,662.

Hourly Salary for Human Resources Generalists

The BLS also breaks down compensation for human resources generalists by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for human resources generalists in 2023 was $33. Lowest hourly earners took home $21 while the highest reported hourly salaries for human resources generalists was $59.

Top Online College For Working Adults

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for Human Resources Generalists

Advertised Compensation for Human Resources Generalists

Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for human resources generalists, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for human resources generalists.

Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™

Annual Salary from Job Postings for Human Resources Generalists

During a review of 263,588 job postings related to human resources generalists, advertised salary was included in 108,596 of them, which was 41%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for human resources generalists was $60,032 per year.

Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Human Resources Generalists

A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for human resources generalists. Based on 40% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for human resources generalists in the United States is about $29.

Salary Trend for Human Resources Generalists

If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for human resources generalists. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.

Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for human resources generalists dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for human resources generalists have increased 24%.

What's the Job Growth for Human Resources Generalists?

Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for human resources generalists over the next 10 years.

According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 958,928 jobs for human resources generalists in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 107,413 jobs will be added. That's a 11.2% increase over the next 10-year period.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about human resources generalists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for human resources generalists.

What do human resources generalists do?
Human Resources Generalists: How do you become one?

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

View Other Occupations