Human Resources Specialists pay range in Hickory
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $102,260 or more. The middle half of human resources specialists in Hickory earn between $51,790 and $80,960.
- $46K10th
- $52K25th
- $65KMedian
- $81K75th
- $102K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $70,230 | $5,852 | $33.76 |
| Median | $64,700 | $5,392 | $31.11 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $51,790 | $4,316 | $24.90 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,960 | $6,747 | $38.92 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Human Resources Specialists salary after taxes in Hickory
On the average salary of $70,230, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $55,943 a year, or $4,662 a month and $2,152 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Hickory a good place for human resources specialists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $70,230 buys what about $79,368 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 3.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Human Resources Specialists salary in other North Carolina cities
Hickory ranks 12th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Durham pays the most ($88,260).
- Durham$88,260
- Charlotte$84,390
- Raleigh$80,820
- Fayetteville$80,100
- Asheville$79,770
- Burlington$77,960
- Winston-Salem$76,080
- Goldsboro$73,620
- Greensboro$73,020
- Hickory$70,230
Highest-paying cities for human resources specialists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($122,290).
- San Jose, CA$122,290
- San Francisco, CA$113,530
- Washington, DC$105,580
- Lexington Park, MD$104,240
- Boulder, CO$99,420
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Human Resources Specialists salary in Hickory: questions
How much do human resources specialists make an hour in Hickory?
$33.76 an hour on average, and $31.11 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level human resources specialists salary in Hickory?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,790, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the human resources specialists take-home pay in Hickory?
About $55,943 a year ($4,662 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,230.
Do human resources specialists earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?
The average here is 15% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($82,959).
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 13-1071; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- 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 (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.74, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.74).
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