SOC 11-3121 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro

Human Resources Managers Salary in San Jose, CA

The average salary for human resources managers in San Jose, California is $257,750 a year ($123.92 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $220,460: half of the 2,800 people in this job in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 55% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($166,439).

$257,750average per year

$123.92 / hourMedian $220,460Take-home ≈ $168,391

  • $125K10th
  • $169K25th
  • $220KMedian
  • $307K75th
  • $398K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

2,800people in this job
+55%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 24California metros
110cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Human Resources Managers pay range in San Jose

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $124,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $397,910 or more. The middle half of human resources managers in San Jose earn between $168,530 and $307,460.

  • $125K10th
  • $169K25th
  • $220KMedian
  • $307K75th
  • $398K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$257,750$21,479$123.92
Median$220,460$18,372$105.99
Entry level (25th percentile)$168,530$14,044$81.02
Experienced (75th percentile)$307,460$25,622$147.82

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Human Resources Managers salary after taxes in San Jose

On the average salary of $257,750, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $168,391 a year, or $14,033 a month and $6,477 every two weeks. Taxes take 35% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Advertisement

Is San Jose a good place for human resources managers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $257,750 buys what about $233,421 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $257,750 is worth in another city

Human Resources Managers salary in other California cities

San Jose ranks 1st of 24 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Human Resources Managers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for human resources managers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($257,750).

Human Resources Managers salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Human Resources Managers in San Jose, CA.

Human Resources Managers salary in San Jose: questions

How much do human resources managers make an hour in San Jose?

$123.92 an hour on average, and $105.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level human resources managers salary in San Jose?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $124,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $168,530, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the human resources managers take-home pay in San Jose?

About $168,391 a year ($14,033 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $257,750. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do human resources managers earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?

The average here is 55% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($166,439).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 11-3121; area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.74, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.