Human Resources Specialists Salary
In Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI, human resources specialists earn $65,760 at the median, or about $31.61 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $68,823 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,519/month, about 35.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). 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.
About human resources specialists
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What this looks like in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
Pay for human resources specialists in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $76K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,519/month, which is 35.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for human resources specialistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for human resources specialists in metros near Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $76K | $76K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $72K | $76K |
| Ann Arbor | $78K | $77K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $65K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
Entry-level human resources specialists (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Human Resources Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Human Resources Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111K | +46% | 6,910 |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +13% | 27,300 |
| Washington | $85K | +11% | 22,770 |
| New York | $84K | +11% | 54,610 |
| Maryland | $84K | +10% | 15,530 |
| California | $84K | +10% | 104,000 |
| Connecticut | $83K | +9% | 9,010 |
| Virginia | $82K | +8% | 28,540 |
| Colorado | $81K | +6% | 19,450 |
| New Jersey | $81K | +6% | 21,690 |
| Minnesota | $79K | +4% | 17,240 |
| Oregon | $78K | +3% | 10,620 |
| Vermont | $78K | +2% | 1,270 |
| Delaware | $78K | +2% | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +2% | 3,320 |
| Alaska | $77K | +1% | 1,420 |
| Illinois | $77K | +1% | 35,430 |
| North Dakota | $76K | -0% | 1,710 |
| Hawaii | $74K | -3% | 2,570 |
| North Carolina | $73K | -4% | 31,140 |
| Utah | $72K | -6% | 9,900 |
| Maine | $72K | -6% | 3,020 |
| Nevada | $72K | -6% | 6,520 |
| Arizona | $71K | -6% | 20,230 |
| Kansas | $71K | -7% | 7,560 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | -7% | 4,270 |
| Georgia | $71K | -7% | 32,110 |
| Wisconsin | $71K | -7% | 17,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $70K | -7% | 36,960 |
| Ohio | $70K | -8% | 33,500 |
| Michigan | $70K | -8% | 25,520 |
| Kentucky | $69K | -9% | 10,900 |
| Texas | $69K | -9% | 84,930 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -10% | 4,090 |
| South Dakota | $68K | -11% | 1,340 |
| Tennessee | $67K | -11% | 21,460 |
| Missouri | $67K | -12% | 17,650 |
| Wyoming | $67K | -12% | 1,000 |
| West Virginia | $67K | -12% | 3,130 |
| Iowa | $67K | -12% | 7,930 |
| Florida | $66K | -13% | 62,730 |
| Indiana | $66K | -14% | 17,110 |
| South Carolina | $65K | -14% | 13,720 |
| Idaho | $65K | -14% | 3,930 |
| Alabama | $65K | -14% | 11,080 |
| Montana | $64K | -16% | 2,340 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -18% | 7,220 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -19% | 9,370 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -19% | 7,240 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -21% | 4,850 |
| Arkansas | $55K | -28% | 6,230 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track human resources specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a human resources specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 35.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,519/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for human resources specialists in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new human resources specialists typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,761/month. At HUD’s $1,519/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is human resources specialist a high-paying job in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $66K here vs. $76K nationally.
How does Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood compare to the national average for human resources specialists?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do human resources specialists make in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI?
The median is $65,760 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,010, and experienced human resources specialists can clear $104,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,321/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,519/month, which eats 35.2% 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 specialists salary go in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median human resources specialists salary is worth about $68,823 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do human resources specialists 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.