California · Occupational wage benchmark
Human Resources Managers Salary in California
What Human Resources Managers actually earn in California — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against every other state.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), California state estimates for SOC 11-3121; cost-of-living adjustment derived from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (RPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Median annual wage
- $170,080
- Human Resources Managers in California
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $153,613
- California price level 110.7 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among states
- #5 of 51
- #14 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 27,450
- in California
What Human Resources Managers earn in California, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, California drops 9 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
| State | Median (nominal) | Adjusted for cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $184,350 | $167,742 |
| Massachusetts | $181,780 | $171,885 |
| New York | $176,650 | $163,685 |
| New Jersey | $172,440 | $158,485 |
| California | $170,080 | $153,613 |
| Rhode Island | $167,110 | $163,385 |
| Colorado | $166,400 | $161,472 |
| Virginia | $165,980 | $164,168 |
| Connecticut | $165,930 | $160,149 |
| Washington | $165,530 | $154,682 |
| Delaware | $153,890 | $154,186 |
| Minnesota | $153,770 | $155,920 |
| Maryland | $152,770 | $145,552 |
| Illinois | $151,370 | $151,434 |
| Georgia | $150,700 | $156,502 |
| North Carolina | $142,990 | $151,591 |
| Oregon | $140,570 | $135,999 |
| Arizona | $139,820 | $138,880 |
| North Dakota | $139,050 | $156,308 |
| Michigan | $138,930 | $144,392 |
| Florida | $137,790 | $133,241 |
| Texas | $136,500 | $140,639 |
| New Hampshire | $135,000 | $129,602 |
| Kansas | $134,470 | $149,298 |
| Wisconsin | $133,490 | $141,867 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,060 | $136,371 |
| Vermont | $132,050 | $134,803 |
| Tennessee | $131,760 | $143,420 |
| Utah | $131,380 | $132,890 |
| Missouri | $130,680 | $143,894 |
| Ohio | $130,480 | $140,643 |
| Indiana | $130,340 | $139,656 |
| Maine | $129,720 | $133,663 |
| Alaska | $129,570 | $126,584 |
| Nebraska | $129,460 | $143,680 |
| Hawaii | $128,910 | $117,243 |
| Nevada | $128,550 | $128,577 |
| Wyoming | $127,520 | $137,575 |
| Iowa | $126,370 | $143,992 |
| South Carolina | $124,290 | $132,577 |
| Kentucky | $121,460 | $134,718 |
| West Virginia | $120,020 | $134,105 |
| Idaho | $119,990 | $125,652 |
| New Mexico | $118,070 | $128,042 |
| South Dakota | $117,930 | $133,125 |
| Oklahoma | $116,080 | $132,145 |
| Montana | $115,280 | $121,803 |
| Alabama | $113,210 | $127,456 |
| Arkansas | $108,580 | $124,895 |
| Louisiana | $107,880 | $122,303 |
| Mississippi | $106,100 | $122,020 |
Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (state RPP ÷ 100) using BEA RPP 2024 all-items regional price parities. An adjusted figure is a purchasing-power comparison, not a wage anyone is paid.
The national pay range for Human Resources Managers
BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. It shows the spread within the occupation — the gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is usually far wider than the gap between states.
| Percentile (national) | Annual wage | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $88,200 | Entry / early-career end |
| 25th percentile | $111,110 | |
| Median (50th) | $149,280 | |
| 75th percentile | $199,290 | |
| 90th percentile | $267,810 | Senior / top-market end |
Other MBA-relevant roles in California
How to read the California number
The $170,080 median means half of Human Resources Managers in California earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every level of experience, every industry, and every level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.
BLS counts roughly 27,450 people in this role in California. The national percentile spread above is the more useful planning tool: within a single occupation, the distance between the 10th and 90th percentile typically dwarfs the difference between states. Where you land inside that range is driven far more by industry, function, and seniority than by geography.
What this data can and cannot tell you
This page answers “what does this role pay here.” It cannot answer “what will an MBA pay me here.” The BLS surveys establishments about occupations, not degrees, so no MBA premium can be isolated from it. Any site presenting these figures as MBA salaries is overstating what the source supports.
For MBA-specific figures we rely on cited school employment reports and moderated submissions, published only above our sample-size gates — see our methodology. To model your own economics, the MBA ROI calculator turns a target salary, tuition, and debt into a payback estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Human Resources Managers make in California?
Human Resources Managers in California earn a median of $170,080 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is +13.9% vs national, ranking California #5 of 51 states with published data for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark measured across all workers in the occupation, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.
Is $170,080 a good salary for Human Resources Managers in California?
It depends on local prices. California's overall price level is 110.7 against a U.S. average of 100, so a $170,080 salary there has roughly the purchasing power of $153,613 nationally — about $16,467 less than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, California drops 9 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
Do Human Resources Managers in California need an MBA?
These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot tell you what an MBA specifically adds. Human Resources Managers is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any claim of a precise MBA premium for this role in California would not be supported by this data. Verified MBA-specific outcomes are collected separately and published only once they clear our sample-size gates.
Why is housing cost relevant to Human Resources Managers pay in California?
Housing is the single largest driver of geographic cost differences. California's housing price level is 154.3 against a U.S. average of 100 — substantially above average, which absorbs a large share of any wage premium. Overall prices there sit at 110.7.
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