Human Resources Specialists Salary
In Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, human resources specialists earn $65,580 at the median, or about $31.53 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $115K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.89), that's roughly $65,001 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,977/month, about 43.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater’s Regional Price Parity (100.89). 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Pay for human resources specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $76K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,977/month, which is 43.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.89) 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $68K | $59K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $65K | $65K |
| Jacksonville | $72K | $72K |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $63K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Entry-level human resources specialists (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $115K or more, a $71K 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a human resources specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 43.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,977/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new human resources specialists typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,672/month. At HUD’s $1,977/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $66K here vs. $76K nationally.
How does Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater compare to the national average for human resources specialists?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do human resources specialists make in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The median is $65,580 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,530, and experienced human resources specialists can clear $115,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,543/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,977/month, which eats 43.5% 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 specialists salary go in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater has a Regional Price Parity of 100.89 (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 specialists salary is worth about $65,001 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.