National Salary Info » Human Resources Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Human Resources Workers

The top 100 highest paying industries for human resources workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $126,150, pipeline transportation of crude oil is the highest paying industry for human resources workers. It is followed by pipeline transportation industry (average annual salary $80,530). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of human resources workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Human Resources Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$126,150	$43,160	30
2	Pipeline Transportation	$80,530	$43,460	90
3	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$80,070	$48,810	2,630
4	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$79,480	$54,030	25,210
5	Oil and Gas Extraction	$79,200	$42,160	1,090
6	Software Publishers	$79,180	$44,270	2,400
7	Federal government, including USPS	$78,760	$52,730	26,470
8	Other Information Services	$77,430	$45,270	1,690
9	Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage	$77,360	$45,820	1,690
10	Natural Gas Distribution	$76,830	$47,340	540
11	Other General Merchandise Stores	$76,240	$45,530	780
12	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$75,700	$45,240	600
13	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$75,010	$43,240	640
14	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$74,930	$43,340	680
15	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$74,820	$48,110	1,200
16	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$74,810	$42,690	840
17	Sound Recording Industries	$73,460	$45,430	40
18	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$73,410	$47,470	1,840
19	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$73,010	$41,570	3,730
20	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$72,800	$43,920	50
21	Telecommunications	$72,470	$43,650	4,400
22	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$72,460	$44,850	4,970
23	Utilities	$72,300	$43,550	2,060
24	Information	$72,140	$42,410	13,300
25	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$72,090	$43,990	4,180
26	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$72,000	$42,370	2,800
27	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$71,850	$43,580	1,640
28	Other Financial Investment Activities	$71,460	$43,480	1,810
29	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$71,260	$42,440	1,440
30	Postal Service (federal government)	$71,200	$42,650	1,270
31	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$71,020	$41,850	3,490
32	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$70,500	$46,810	130
33	Scientific Research and Development Services	$70,440	$41,140	3,860
34	Rail Transportation	$70,360	$45,260	540
35	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	$70,160	$43,840	70
36	Cable and Other Subscription Programming	$69,790	$42,860	360
37	Legal Services	$68,750	$41,620	2,830
38	Metal Ore Mining	$68,680	$46,070	160
39	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$68,340	$43,920	490
40	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$68,260	$40,850	350
41	Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$68,190	$40,720	2,100
42	Other Telecommunications	$68,010	$42,990	380
43	Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	$67,670	$33,400	30
44	Broadcasting (except Internet)	$67,020	$41,490	860
45	Mining	$66,840	$37,880	2,690
46	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$66,830	$40,350	1,930
47	Testing Laboratories	$66,670	$38,740	500
48	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$66,450	$40,540	440
49	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$66,430	$39,860	6,500
50	Television Broadcasting	$66,390	$41,110	420
51	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$66,210	$37,400	1,300
52	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$65,930	$41,720	2,710
53	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	$65,880	$38,770	n/a
54	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$65,850	$37,350	110
55	Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures	$65,500	$34,380	40
56	Insurance Carriers	$65,240	$40,760	6,720
57	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$65,130	$29,050	370
58	Finance and Insurance	$65,130	$40,170	25,340
59	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	$65,090	$48,980	100
60	Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$64,980	$31,600	160
61	Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$64,940	$38,670	1,240
62	Activities Related to Credit Intermediation	$64,530	$39,980	1,200
63	Radio and Television Broadcasting	$64,430	$40,780	500
64	Coal Mining	$64,390	$38,010	170
65	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$64,370	$39,310	4,990
66	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$64,350	$38,490	15,510
67	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$64,270	$40,870	1,190
68	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$64,170	$37,900	1,320
69	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$64,120	$41,670	120
70	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$64,020	$39,140	10,460
71	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$63,990	$39,920	2,180
72	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$63,870	$38,150	1,990
73	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$63,750	$39,810	930
74	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$63,740	$41,410	180
75	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$63,710	$37,300	6,210
76	Footwear Manufacturing	$63,550	$40,840	60
77	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$63,540	$40,480	380
78	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$63,440	$36,250	55,990
79	Engineering Services	$63,300	$36,770	4,990
80	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$63,210	$38,030	800
81	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$63,190	$41,380	280
82	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$63,140	$39,740	10,470
83	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$63,120	$38,600	2,840
84	Residential Building Construction	$62,950	$37,390	620
85	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$62,890	$40,450	n/a
86	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	$62,780	$42,060	n/a
87	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$62,730	$35,020	240
88	Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)	$62,730	$41,810	120
89	Chemical Manufacturing	$62,620	$38,260	3,260
90	Securities and Commodity Exchanges	$62,530	$42,490	670
91	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$62,490	$38,550	35,730
92	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	$62,480	$34,330	1,990
93	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$62,240	$36,590	63,460
94	Federal, State, and Local Government	$62,240	$36,590	63,460
95	Construction of Buildings	$62,160	$36,960	2,300
96	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$62,100	$39,930	540
97	Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	$62,060	$35,830	3,750
98	Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	$61,890	$39,860	280
99	Nonresidential Building Construction	$61,890	$36,790	1,680
100	Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing	$61,840	$34,590	120