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Human Resources Managers salary in Seattle, WA

Median pay for human resources managers in Seattle, WA: $168,430/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $109,650 – $239,200 · about 3,520 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($123,200) by +$45,230 (+37%).

What it's really worth in Seattle

With Seattle's cost of living at 113 (US=100), that $168,430 has the buying power of about $149,409 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $107,206 · median home $750,279 · median rent $2,232/mo.

Full Seattle cost of living & taxes →

How Seattle ranks for this job

On raw pay, Seattle, WA is 5th of the 185 metros we hold human resources managers wages for. Once Seattle's cost of living is applied, it ranks 10th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Seattle sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Seattle

A median home in Seattle, WA costs $750,279 — about 4.5× 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 $2,232/mo works out at 16% 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 Seattle.

MetroMedian payvs SeattleRent vs Seattle
San Jose, CA $212,030 +26% 1.6×
San Francisco, CA $196,760 +17% 1.5×
New York, NY $181,080 +8% 1.6×
Washington, DC $168,770 +0% 1.1×

Same job elsewhere in WA

MetroMedian payvs SeattleRent vs Seattle
Kennewick, WA $145,180 −14% 0.8×
Bremerton, WA $143,150 −15% 0.9×
Spokane, WA $132,430 −21% 0.7×
Yakima, WA $128,100 −24% 0.6×

Staying in WA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires human resources managers around Seattle

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

Other jobs in Seattle

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.