Human Resources Managers salary in Appleton, WI
Median pay for human resources managers in Appleton, WI: $126,500/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $93,070 – $166,100 · about 120 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($123,200) by +$3,300 (+3%).
What it's really worth in Appleton
With Appleton's cost of living at 94 (US=100), that $126,500 has the buying power of about $134,953 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,958 · median home $350,370 · median rent $1,217/mo.
How Appleton ranks for this job
On raw pay, Appleton, WI is 76th of the 185 metros we hold human resources managers wages for. Once Appleton's cost of living is applied, it ranks 56th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Appleton is one of the places where human resources managers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Appleton
A median home in Appleton, WI costs $350,370 — about 2.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,217/mo works out at 12% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where human resources managers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Appleton.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Appleton | Rent vs Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $212,030 | +68% | 3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $196,760 | +56% | 2.7× |
| New York, NY | $181,080 | +43% | 2.9× |
| Washington, DC | $168,770 | +33% | 2× |
Same job elsewhere in WI
| Metro | Median pay | vs Appleton | Rent vs Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | $133,930 | +6% | 1.4× |
| Milwaukee, WI | $131,180 | +4% | 1.3× |
| Green Bay, WI | $122,860 | −3% | 1× |
Staying in WI keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires human resources managers around Appleton
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- ThedaCare · Healthcare
- Pierce Manufacturing · Manufacturing
- Spectrum Communications · Tech
Other jobs in Appleton
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 185 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.