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Office & Admin · Boulder

Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping Salary

in Boulder, CO

In Boulder, CO, human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings earn $59,690 at the median, or about $28.7 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.2), so that salary is closer to $56,740 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,033/month, about 50.9% of take-home, which is tight.

Our verdict:Rough. This salary fights the rent
Median pay
$60K
per year, before taxes
Hourly
$28.7
median hourly rate
Starting out
$39K
10th percentile
Top earners
$78K
90th percentile

Where the paycheck goes

What $60K actually covers in Boulder, month by month

Take-home pay
after estimated taxes
$3,948/mo
Rent
2-bedroom median (HUD)
-$2,033/mo
Groceries
scaled to local prices
-$412/mo
Utilities
power, water, internet
-$206/mo
Transportation
car, gas, transit
-$362/mo
Healthcare *
employee share only
-$240/mo
Rent as % of take-home51.5% ⚠ above 30% guideline
Left over each month$695/mo

Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boulder’s Regional Price Parity (105.2). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.

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About human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings

Education: High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employed: 90,220
Boulder, CO employed: 80
Category: Office & Admin

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What this looks like in Boulder

Boulder sits well above the national pay line for human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,033/month, which is 51.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.2), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.

Compared to nearby metros

Median pay for human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.

MetroMedian payCOL-adjusted
Denver-Aurora-Centennial$56K$53K
Colorado Springs$51K$51K
Fort Collins-Loveland$51K$50K
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler$50K$49K

COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO

Bar chart showing Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping salary percentiles in Boulder, CO: 10th percentile $39,300, 25th percentile $51,090, median $59,690, 75th percentile $63,500, 90th percentile $77,620. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$39K25th$51KMedian$60K75th$64K90th$78K
Bar chart showing Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping salary percentiles in Boulder, CO: 10th percentile $39,300, 25th percentile $51,090, median $59,690, 75th percentile $63,500, 90th percentile $77,620. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.

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Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping pay across states

Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure

View Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping salary in all states
StateMedian salaryvs. nationalEmployment
District of Columbia$59K+17%610
California$58K+14%11,490
Washington$57K+13%2,350
Maryland$57K+12%1,480
Alaska$57K+12%260
Rhode Island$56K+11%150
Massachusetts$56K+10%1,400
Colorado$55K+8%1,660
Minnesota$55K+8%3,380
New Jersey$54K+8%4,000
Connecticut$54K+7%910
Oregon$54K+6%1,050
North Dakota$53K+5%110
New York$53K+5%8,800
Virginia$52K+3%2,160
Vermont$52K+2%140
Idaho$52K+2%280
New Hampshire$51K+2%470
Delaware$51K+0%290
Kentucky$50K-0%1,240
Montana$50K-1%140
Maine$50K-2%490
Wyoming$50K-2%90
New Mexico$50K-2%620
Kansas$50K-2%660
Hawaii$49K-3%450
Pennsylvania$49K-4%2,700
Wisconsin$49K-4%1,890
Iowa$48K-4%920
Florida$48K-5%3,210
Illinois$48K-5%4,140
Ohio$48K-5%2,770
Michigan$48K-5%1,890
North Carolina$48K-5%2,790
Missouri$48K-5%1,090
Nevada$48K-5%1,390
Arizona$48K-5%1,490
Indiana$48K-5%1,870
Texas$48K-6%5,890
Louisiana$47K-6%750
Nebraska$47K-7%440
Georgia$47K-7%2,510
Arkansas$46K-9%720
Utah$46K-10%700
Tennessee$46K-10%3,930
South Carolina$45K-10%1,190
South Dakota$45K-11%190
Oklahoma$45K-11%600
Mississippi$45K-12%1,010
West Virginia$43K-15%480
Alabama$42K-17%960
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Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)

Track human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping salary changes

BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.

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Quick answers

The stuff people actually ask about this job

Can a human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 51.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,033/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

What’s the entry-level salary for human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings in Boulder?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,657/month. At HUD’s $2,033/month FMR, rent would take 77% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping a high-paying job in Boulder?

Local pay is 18% above the national median — $60K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.

How does Boulder compare to the national average for human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings?

Boulder pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.

How much do human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings make in Boulder, CO?

The median is $59,690 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,300, and experienced human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings can clear $77,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $60K enough to live in Boulder?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,948/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,033/month, which eats 51.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

How far does a human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping salary go in Boulder?

Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 105.2 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping salary is worth about $56,740 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeepings get paid the most?

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.

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