HR Generalist Salary: Your 2025 Guide

A human resources generalist works in a wide range of human resources (HR) tasks. It is typically the opposite of a human resources specialist, who is often considered an expert in one aspect of HR, such as payroll. As an HR generalist, you may work with a team and help manage various staffing-related tasks, from onboarding new hires to ensuring compliance with state and local employment laws. Below, you can explore the average HR generalist salary and the factors impacting this figure.

What is an HR generalist? 

As a human resources generalist, you will be responsible for helping manage daily activities involved with an HR department, including recruitment, onboarding, working with payroll, conducting performance reviews, and more. An HR generalist oversees many kinds of human resources-related work instead of specializing in one area, such as retention or employee relations. 

Some of the responsibilities you might have as an HR generalist include: 

• Recruitment, including writing job listings, interviewing potential candidates, performing background checks, and onboarding new hires 

• Creating and overseeing employee orientation programs

• Performing tasks related to employee compensation and other benefits, managing employee disputes and investigations, and conducting training programs 

• Ensuring and recording compliance with employment laws and regulations 

How much does an HR generalist make?

The average HR generalist salary ranges from just over $56,000 to more than $76,000, according to data from several career salary data websites [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The specific data breaks down as follows: 

Your salary as a human resource generalist will depend on factors such as where you live and work, your level of education and experience, which certifications you hold, and which industries and companies you work for. 

Factors that impact HR generalist salary

Looking at how the average salary changes after adjusting for education, certification, experience, geographic location, and the industry you’re working in can be helpful. These details, when combined, help determine what you might expect to earn as an HR generalist. 

Let’s take a closer look at the available data. 

Education

A more advanced degree can often help you qualify for a higher-paying job. Zippia offers insight into how the average HR generalist salary changes based on degree [6]:

• High school diploma: $52,394

• Associate degree: $52,539

• Bachelor’s degree: $60,702

• Master’s degree: $66,032

Certification

Another factor that can influence how much you earn as an HR generalist is earning additional credentials that show your expertise and often pay a higher average salary. According to Payscale, these five certifications may help you earn more money: 

• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP): $78,000 [7]

• HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR): $82,000 [8]

• HRCI Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR): $61,000 [9]

• IFEBP Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS): $92,000 [10]

• HRMI Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP): $69,000 [11]

Read more: The Benefits of HR Certification and Program Options

Experience

Typically, an experienced HR generalist will command a higher salary than an entry-level HR generalist. The following job sites all offer additional insight into how their salary averages break down across different levels of experience:

Location

When you look at the differences that geography can make, you’ll find that the average salary for an HR generalist ranges from $64,053 in New York to $40,746 in Oklahoma [2]. According to Zippia, the top 10 highest-paying states are [2]:

• District of Columbia: $70,551

• New York: $64,053

• Washington: $63,461

• New Jersey: $61,805

• California: $61,413

• Virginia: $60,742

• Connecticut: $60,695

• Massachusetts: $60,476

• Maryland: $59,648

• Alaska: $57,783

On the other end of the chart, the ten lowest-paying states are [2]:

• Wyoming: $47,315

• Nevada: $47,209

• Montana: $47,025

• Florida: $46,781

• Hawaii: $46,737

• Mississippi: $46,315

• Louisiana: $44,985

• Arkansas: $42,669

• South Dakota: $41,779

• Oklahoma: $40,746

Zippia also offers insights into the highest-paying cities for HR generalists, as follows [2]:

• Washington, DC: $70,619

• Richmond, CA: $65,618

• New York, NY: $64,404

• Seattle, WA: $63,856

• Richmond, VA: $60,685

• Boston, MA: $60,293

• Baltimore, MD: $59,804

• Portland, OR: $56,672

• Rochester, MN: $56,430

• Denver, CO: $56,322

Industry

Diverse industries employ human resource generalists, and your industry will usually affect how much you can expect to earn. Glassdoor offers additional insight into how the base salary averages for HR generalists vary across industries, as follows [1]:

• Financial services: $80,166

• Personal consumer services: $92,964

• Education:$77,570

• Agriculture: $66,519

• Telecommunications: $74,130

• Manufacturing: $73,719

• Information technology: $84,290

• Health care: $78,186

• Legal: $81,840

• Real estate: $64,336

Job outlook

Human resources is a growing field. Although the US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not specifically include a category for HR generalists, it does list the growth rate for HR specialists and HR managers at 8 and 6 percent, respectively, from 2023 to 2033 [12, 13].

Related job titles

Within the HR field, you could choose a slightly different job title than an HR generalist, such as an HR specialist, analyst, or consultant. In one of these careers, your job responsibilities and the average salary you can expect will be slightly different. 

1. Human resources specialist

Average annual base salary (US): $70,753 [14]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [12] 

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business, HR management, or related field 

A human resources specialist helps perform HR tasks, usually in a specific specialization. In this role, you may focus on payroll, recruitment, or managing workplace policies. This specialization differentiates them from generalists, who may perform duties in those areas. 

2. Human resources analyst

Average annual salary (US): $82,432 [15]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [12] 

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business, HR management, or related field 

As a human resources analyst, you will work with a company’s HR staff to provide consulting and advice for different human resources programs. You will examine systems and policies and make recommendations for best practices. In this role, you may recommend changes to existing policies or help companies come into compliance with employment laws and regulations. 

3. Human resources consultant

Average annual base salary (US): $132,772 [16]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [12] 

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business, HR management, or related field 

As an HR consultant, you may work in diverse areas of the human resources department and help implement solutions. In this position, you may help revise and modify company staffing policies, offer advice on employee relations, and help companies improve compliance and reporting with employment laws. 

Getting started with Coursera

Human resource generalists contribute to various areas within the HR department, such as recruiting, onboarding, compensation, and employee recognition programs. Many factors determine how much you can earn in this role, including your location, work experience, and education level.

If you’re ready to take the next step and learn more about beginning a career as an HR generalist, consider learning about Leading: Human Resource Management and Leadership Specialization offered by Macquarie University on Coursera. This four-course series takes approximately three months to complete and can help you learn skills like strategic thinking, organizational design, change planning, and more.