According to an interview in Smart Business with Jim Glassman, the head economist for Chase Commercial Banking, an analysis of recent economic data coming out of Pennsylvania suggests that the state will continue to see strong growth for years to come. Job growth in general always creates competition for the skilled human resources professionals needed to recruit, hire and train the new talent businesses need. And when businesses compete for skilled HR professionals, they invariably start offering higher salaries as a way to attract top talent.
Pennsylvania is home to 52 of the 1,000 largest private and public companies in the US by sales according to Forbes. As of 2014, 190 of the Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies had major operations in Pennsylvania, including three from the top 100: Centennial Lending Group, Constructure Management, and Prepay Nation. These are also among the companies driving much of the demand for the recruiting specialists, hiring managers, training and development staff and other HR professionals required to support a large labor force.
Job Growth and Salary Expectations for HR Professionals in Pennsylvania
In 2014, human resources managers in Pennsylvania earned an average salary of $129,070 — $14,930 higher than the national average according to the US Department of Labor. In particular, the Philadelphia area had the third highest salary for HR managers of any metropolitan area in the country at that time.
The average salary of $64,720 for human resources specialists in Pennsylvania was also above the national average. HR specialists in the top 10% of earners for their occupational classification earned $96,900 in 2014.
Pennsylvania has an abundance of jobs for human resources specialists:
- Pennsylvania had the 5th highest employment level of HR specialists in the country.
- The Philadelphia area had the 10th highest level of employment for HR specialists of any metropolitan area in the country.
- The East Central nonmetropolitan area of Pennsylvania had the 3rd highest employment level of HR specialists of any rural area in the country.
Human Resources Manager Salaries in Pennsylvania Cities and Rural Areas
According to a US Department of Labor analysis from 2014, human resources managers in the Philadelphia metropolitan area had the highest average salary in the state:
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton PA-NJ
210
60.96
126810
54.77
77.33
90.00*
113930
160840
187199*
Erie PA
40
42.66
88740
36.87
53.87
68.38
76700
112040
142230
Harrisburg-Carlisle PA
270
51.99
108130
47.77
61.11
81.25
99350
127110
168990
Lancaster PA
100
47.14
98060
46.53
57.05
68.99
96790
118660
143500
Philadelphia PA Metropolitan Division
1470
72.62
151050
64.63
90.00*
90.00*
134430
187199*
187199*
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD
2030
70.07
145740
61.56
86.06
90.00*
128050
179000
187199*
Pittsburgh PA
640
57.47
119530
51.21
66.21
89.57
106520
137710
186300
Reading PA
70
65.12
135450
53.75
75.53
90.00*
111800
157090
187199*
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre PA
80
50.39
104820
42.54
58.54
90.00*
88480
121760
187199*
State College PA
50
48.61
101110
46.30
58.14
73.98
96300
120940
153880
York-Hanover PA
80
48.27
100410
43.08
58.46
75.15
89610
121610
156320
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
70
55.89
116250
51.30
69.25
85.32
106700
144030
177470
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
60
43.93
91370
42.95
49.85
63.40
89330
103690
131870
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
40
38.77
80640
38.16
48.91
56.93
79360
101730
118410
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
90
49.24
102420
49.60
60.60
69.33
103170
126060
144200
*Salaries are equal to or greater than $90 an hour or $187,199 a year. The US Department of Labor does not report salary data beyond these values.
Salaries for Human Resources Specialists in Pennsylvania
Human resources specialists in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and York-Hanover area had the top earnings within the occupational classification statewide (2014, US Department of Labor):
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton PA-NJ
1010
29.63
61620
28.52
35.86
43.59
59320
74580
90680
Altoona PA
120
27.28
56740
26.80
32.89
39.65
55750
68410
82460
Erie PA
360
26.64
55410
25.24
33.25
39.72
52490
69160
82610
Harrisburg-Carlisle PA
1410
28.10
58440
25.84
33.22
41.01
53740
69100
85290
Johnstown PA
140
23.11
48070
21.77
27.64
35.52
45270
57500
73880
Lancaster PA
580
26.75
55640
26.09
32.10
36.88
54270
66780
76710
Lebanon PA
180
27.86
57950
27.11
31.59
38.49
56400
65720
80050
Philadelphia PA Metropolitan Division
7880
34.49
71730
31.99
39.82
51.75
66540
82820
107640
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD
10660
33.90
70510
31.73
39.34
50.36
65990
81820
104750
Pittsburgh PA
3900
29.68
61740
28.35
35.68
44.64
58970
74210
92850
Reading PA
590
30.51
63460
29.09
39.47
47.73
60510
82090
99270
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre PA
780
28.67
59630
26.36
34.50
43.65
54820
71760
90790
State College PA
160
29.44
61240
28.27
36.24
43.05
58810
75380
89530
Williamsport PA
150
25.03
52070
22.88
27.90
39.30
47590
58040
81750
York-Hanover PA
620
34.48
71720
31.35
42.41
51.88
65210
88210
107910
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
360
26.74
55630
24.60
30.09
45.38
51170
62580
94390
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
270
24.57
51120
23.16
31.08
36.35
48170
64640
75600
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
270
26.82
55790
24.95
32.47
40.18
51900
67540
83580
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
600
26.61
55360
25.13
32.18
38.79
52280
66940
80690
Human Resources Assistant Salaries Throughout Pennsylvania
The US Department of Labor reported that human resources assistants in Pennsylvania earned the highest average salaries in Lebanon during 2014. HR assistants in the 90th percentile earned the most on average when they were located in Lancaster:
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton PA-NJ
330
16.66
34660
16.43
19.56
23.28
34180
40690
48410
Altoona PA
70
15.99
33260
15.60
18.06
21.62
32460
37560
44970
Erie PA
200
16.23
33760
16.19
19.41
22.61
33680
40370
47030
Harrisburg-Carlisle PA
490
17.32
36030
17.19
19.99
23.65
35760
41570
49190
Johnstown PA
80
16.14
33570
15.69
18.03
21.38
32630
37490
44480
Lancaster PA
160
19.34
40220
18.27
22.22
30.65
38000
46220
63750
Lebanon PA
70
20.49
42620
20.49
22.52
26.50
42620
46830
55120
Philadelphia PA Metropolitan Division
2300
18.55
38580
17.81
22.25
26.42
37040
46280
54940
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD
3330
18.63
38760
18.03
22.17
26.13
37500
46120
54340
Pittsburgh PA
1240
17.32
36030
17.07
20.41
23.43
35510
42450
48740
Reading PA
200
17.12
35610
16.72
19.37
23.87
34780
40280
49650
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre PA
250
19
39520
18.50
22.03
25.84
38490
45820
53750
State College PA
70
16.72
34770
16.42
19.73
24.48
34160
41040
50920
Williamsport PA
40
17.13
35630
16.77
20.80
23.69
34880
43260
49270
York-Hanover PA
190
19.32
40180
19.14
22.69
26.64
39810
47190
55410
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
150
17.38
36150
16.79
20.37
25.71
34930
42360
53470
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
130
16.10
33490
15.62
18.66
21.60
32490
38820
44940
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
110
17.49
36380
17.23
21.03
23.19
35840
43750
48240
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area
280
17.36
36110
16.89
19.77
23.95
35130
41110
49810
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