SOC 13-1071 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro

Human Resources Specialists Salary in Seattle, WA

The average salary for human resources specialists in Seattle, Washington is $99,220 a year ($47.70 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $92,770: half of the 14,120 people in this job in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($82,959).

$99,220average per year

$47.70 / hourMedian $92,770Take-home ≈ $78,631

  • $59K10th
  • $74K25th
  • $93KMedian
  • $124K75th
  • $154K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

14,120people in this job
+20%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 11Washington metros
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Human Resources Specialists pay range in Seattle

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,610 a year or less, while the top 10% make $153,960 or more. The middle half of human resources specialists in Seattle earn between $73,860 and $124,380.

  • $59K10th
  • $74K25th
  • $93KMedian
  • $124K75th
  • $154K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$99,220$8,268$47.70
Median$92,770$7,731$44.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$73,860$6,155$35.51
Experienced (75th percentile)$124,380$10,365$59.80

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

Human Resources Specialists salary after taxes in Seattle

On the average salary of $99,220, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $78,631 a year, or $6,553 a month and $3,024 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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Is Seattle a good place for human resources specialists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $99,220 buys what about $89,280 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $99,220 is worth in another city

Human Resources Specialists salary in other Washington cities

Seattle ranks 1st of 11 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Human Resources Specialists salaries in Washington

Highest-paying cities for human resources specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($122,290).

Human Resources Specialists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Human Resources Specialists in Seattle, WA.

Human Resources Specialists salary in Seattle: questions

How much do human resources specialists make an hour in Seattle?

$47.70 an hour on average, and $44.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level human resources specialists salary in Seattle?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,610 a year and the 25th percentile is $73,860, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the human resources specialists take-home pay in Seattle?

About $78,631 a year ($6,553 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $99,220. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Do human resources specialists earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% more 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • 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 no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.15, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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