There’s no getting away from the impact the oil and gas flowing from the Bakken formation have on the economy of North Dakota. According to researchers from North Dakota State University, the oil industry had a more than $32 billion impact on the state economy in 2017 alone.
While the good times have rolled throughout the state for HR professionals both in the oil industry and in flourishing support and other industries that have been integral to the state’s expanding workforce, those same researchers have found that the industry is now at an inflection point that will demand even more out of North Dakota human resources staff.
With major drilling and hydraulic fracturing work complete, the oil industry is settling into a more mature phase that will call for more permanent employees… which means more benefit administration, more careful hiring and performance evaluation processes, and more qualified HR staff to run them.
With CNBC calling North Dakota the 17th Best State for Business for 2019, there’s a lot of room for salary expansion in the HR field throughout the state.
Demand for HR Professionals in North Dakota Pushes Salaries Higher
Demand for human resources managers and staff throughout North Dakota is far higher than the national levels, which most specialties looking at double-digit percentage growth by 2025 according to the North Dakota Labor Market Information Center.
At one point, low cost-of-living made even average HR salaries feel king-like in North Dakota, but inflation has come along with the boom to raise median home costs in Fargo to higher levels than Dallas. Although HR salaries haven’t yet caught up, it seems likely that rates will continue to climb with demand.
Salaries of Human Resources Managers in Bismarck and Fargo
With fewer than 300 HR managers in various specializations across the state, it’s a competitive business. Fortunately, professionals in those positions are well-compensated, with six-figure salaries awarded even at the median level.
Fargo
Fargo employs the highest number of HR managers in the state, and offers the highest wages for training and development managers.
Bismarck
With relatively few openings in HR management in Bismarck, it’s welcome news that the median wage here is among the highest in the state, ahead of even the same position in Fargo.
Human Resources Specialist and Assistant Salaries Throughout North Dakota
Contrary to the overall trend, human resource assistants actually pull in a higher median wage in North Dakota than the national rate. While other line-level HR workers may earn more than their national counterparts, the increased opportunities in North Dakota can offer more flexibility and faster advancement than in many states.
Fargo
Fargo’s human resource specialists have the highest pay of any in the state in the top ten percent of the profession.
Bismarck
The top ten percent of HR staff in Bismarck enjoy the highest wages in the state in nearly every category of specialization.
Salary and employment data compiled by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in May of 2018 for human resources managers, specialists, and assistants – https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nd.htm#11-9111. The BLS salary data shown here represents median – 90th percentile salary ranges for the state and its MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries.
Job growth projections sourced from the North Dakota Labor Market Information Center and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2016-2026) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and job growth data accessed in October 2019.