National Salary Info » Human Resources Specialists

Highest Paying Industries for Human Resources Specialists

The top 100 highest paying industries for human resources specialists (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 specialists. It is followed by aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry (average annual salary $79,720). 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 specialists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Human Resources Specialists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$126,150	$43,160	30
2	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$79,720	$48,530	2,490
3	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$79,540	$54,030	25,170
4	Pipeline Transportation	$79,430	$44,230	80
5	Software Publishers	$78,880	$44,210	2,370
6	Federal government, including USPS	$78,760	$52,720	26,090
7	Oil and Gas Extraction	$78,610	$41,960	1,070
8	Other Information Services	$77,530	$45,360	1,680
9	Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage	$77,300	$45,780	1,690
10	Other General Merchandise Stores	$76,100	$45,300	770
11	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$75,010	$43,240	640
12	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$74,930	$43,340	680
13	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$74,830	$42,660	830
14	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$74,720	$48,130	1,190
15	Natural Gas Distribution	$73,940	$46,230	480
16	Sound Recording Industries	$73,460	$45,430	40
17	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$73,260	$47,310	1,800
18	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$72,930	$41,640	3,670
19	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$72,360	$44,770	4,870
20	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$72,170	$44,290	4,100
21	Information	$71,880	$42,320	12,900
22	Telecommunications	$71,760	$43,220	4,090
23	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$71,730	$43,610	1,590
24	Other Financial Investment Activities	$71,680	$44,370	1,740
25	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$71,460	$45,090	430
26	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$71,400	$45,890	40
27	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$70,870	$41,630	3,310
28	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$70,780	$41,720	2,500
29	Utilities	$70,650	$43,910	1,770
30	Scientific Research and Development Services	$70,520	$41,610	3,660
31	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	$70,160	$43,840	70
32	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$70,030	$43,350	1,210
33	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$69,840	$46,440	120
34	Cable and Other Subscription Programming	$69,620	$42,800	350
35	Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds	$69,240	$46,250	n/a
36	Metal Ore Mining	$68,880	$45,870	160
37	Legal Services	$68,660	$41,550	2,800
38	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$68,240	$43,870	490
39	Other Telecommunications	$68,000	$42,960	380
40	Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$67,890	$40,500	2,030
41	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$67,720	$40,540	340
42	Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	$67,670	$33,400	30
43	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$67,470	$41,290	340
44	Rail Transportation	$66,960	$42,610	380
45	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$66,830	$40,380	1,930
46	Broadcasting (except Internet)	$66,820	$41,460	850
47	Television Broadcasting	$66,390	$41,110	420
48	Mining	$66,370	$37,690	2,640
49	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$66,300	$40,480	420
50	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$65,930	$37,440	1,280
51	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$65,550	$41,610	2,640
52	Testing Laboratories	$65,520	$38,380	490
53	Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures	$65,500	$34,380	40
54	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$65,420	$37,150	100
55	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$65,250	$42,070	110
56	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$65,210	$39,590	6,070
57	Insurance Carriers	$65,130	$40,840	6,390
58	Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$64,820	$31,530	160
59	Finance and Insurance	$64,780	$40,090	24,270
60	Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$64,670	$38,160	1,200
61	Radio and Television Broadcasting	$64,360	$40,770	500
62	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$64,350	$38,470	15,390
63	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$64,250	$38,250	1,300
64	Activities Related to Credit Intermediation	$64,190	$39,910	1,180
65	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$64,150	$39,240	4,940
66	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$64,090	$38,480	1,980
67	Coal Mining	$64,030	$38,150	170
68	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$63,860	$40,840	1,140
69	Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations	$63,730	$31,480	810
70	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$63,700	$38,870	9,820
71	Postal Service (federal government)	$63,660	$42,650	920
72	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$63,600	$40,470	370
73	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$63,580	$40,240	1,980
74	Footwear Manufacturing	$63,550	$40,840	60
75	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$63,520	$37,180	6,090
76	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$63,380	$41,350	170
77	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	$63,350	$38,230	410
78	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$63,310	$36,260	55,060
79	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$63,300	$39,640	910
80	Engineering Services	$63,220	$36,660	4,890
81	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$63,110	$38,550	2,830
82	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	$62,920	$47,830	90
83	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$62,890	$40,440	350
84	Residential Building Construction	$62,870	$37,520	610
85	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$62,750	$37,890	780
86	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	$62,750	$42,530	100
87	Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)	$62,730	$41,810	120
88	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$62,590	$39,590	10,150
89	Chemical Manufacturing	$62,540	$38,360	3,220
90	Securities and Commodity Exchanges	$62,530	$42,490	670
91	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	$62,360	$34,290	1,980
92	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$62,330	$35,060	210
93	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$62,230	$38,480	34,080
94	Couriers and Express Delivery Services	$62,190	$36,840	640
95	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$62,170	$36,420	60,750
96	Federal, State, and Local Government	$62,170	$36,420	60,750
97	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$62,170	$39,840	530
98	Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing	$61,810	$34,440	120
99	Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$61,730	$39,060	1,130
100	General Merchandise Stores	$61,660	$33,030	4,710