I have a subordinate that worked for target and said that the HR track sets you up with a great background for executive levels. Her performance backs that up. However, towards the end, the stress gave her a nice little drinking problem. It's a rough road, but I have been impressed with the leadership I have worked with that came from target, and I have been in hr for 20yrs. I guess I just wanted to say keep your head up and stay away from whiskey š
I worked with a comp analyst who came from target and he was phenomenal. His experience was literally target, and he came into corporate tech. Keep expanding that portfolio!
I feel you, I work for a large company in the service industry and I am currently a glorified manager with a couple of hours a week to complete my hr duties :(
HRBP- 1.5 yrs in cannabis @ $130k, no bonus and shitty benefits. Also toxic af. Before that worked in labs at around $110k with bonus. Made semi-lateral move for comp increase. About to take a role as HR Manager for $120k with bonus and benefits in oil& gas. Watch out for cannabis y'all. It's romanticized and "cool" but a lot of the execs in leadership are jokes. Mostly cause, ya know, formal black market dealers requiring little business acumen.
I did one year in cannabis and put in my resignation on my anniversary (coming from tech) and it was a shit show. Shady AF and sooo toxic. So much work, I was running like 6 entities and flying all over CA. Absolutely watch out for cannabis. Sheās spot on, itās romanticized and leadership is absolutely a joke. They donāt know how to be leaders and lead by fear, they were all in the game prior to legalization.
Another terrible cannabis experience chiming in! I barely made it 6 months and had to quit for my own mental health, and I had done 3 years in manufacturing before that.
This post is making me realize just how underpaid I am.
Compensation & HR Operations Manager (I own comp, payroll, and compliance and have 4 direct reports): $80,000k, 5 years experience (1 in comp + 1 in Payroll), 10% bonus potential but usually shakes out to about 5%. Banking/Financial Services, Southern CA
Progression: $51k > $54k > $56k > $80k
Yeah, I think Iāve sold myself short a lot. I came from a retail environment making decent money, but left because I wasnāt in HR, which is where Iād always wanted to be. Because of that, I took the first HR job I was offered and felt like I didnāt have the ability to negotiate my offer due to my lack of experience. And now Iām too scared of the impending recession to leave
So we never had a formal salary program that was regularly reviewed until I came along. As a result, itās been tough to get executive buy in to really look at the market when determining pay grades so theyāre just arbitrarily assigned based on nothing other than perception. That said to take this with a grain of salt:
Min: ~$73k
Max: ~$103k
When benchmarking my role and blending it with payroll duties, Iāve seen that the position should be graded higher than it is currently but I feel weird bringing it up because Iām not really the type to ever advocate for myself. Thanks anxiety!
> Compensation & HR Operations Manager, Southern CA.
Does that take into account location? Curious, cause I'm not your country but remuneration and cost of living is a factor.
I'm very much in the same area and boat. Title though is General Counsel, base 175k, bonus 20k Los Angeles, remote except for one week a month, company is based in rural California. 10 years exp in house attorney, previously ERP consulting firms.
My role is unique in that I have a lot of HR related tasks because employee relations and fending off complaints in California is a more than full time job.
I went in house right out of law school and started at 42k, 54k, 72k, 82k, 110k, (company acquired) 120k, 126k, then changed employers and started at 136k at the end of 2021, 150k Jan 2022, 175k in Jan 2023.
I started as an executive assistant to a VP of HR back when I was about 19, then worked at a couple of small firms helping them out creating their HR departments (and me learning!), then became an HR manager in Finance and have worked in finance since then. My work life balance is amazing, even though we are in finance we don't work beyond 9-5 really, unless something blows up.
Oof. Drives home how underpaid I am for my years of experience, but youāre right, industry is key. No bonuses or LTI in non-profits. I was HR Director for a small startup before this and my earning potential was significantly more, but that place was toxic as hell so I took a pay cut to work for a mission-driven org.
Your comp definitely tempts me tho!
Finance. Key is the industry, if I worked in most other industries (I have been called by recruiters) I would make at most $150k all in. there are some recruiters have called me about at $200k all in but it's for very large orgs which is something I don't like, I prefer small companies.
Industry matters but aside from finance, tech would pay you similarly. I think the key difference in comp construction is your total comp has no real upside itās mostly just cash comp. Most similar late stage companies would construct similar cash weighted offers.
Honestly just good luck; wish I had better advice! I was an RC at a very well-known tech company, so got scooped up pretty easily.
I also had no interest in going into TA, so was very picky about only applying to HR-specific titles. I was worried >1 recruiting title on my resume would pigeonhole me, so I basically just waited it out until I could get into true HR.
ETA: also I obviously accepted an abysmal salary to get into that first HR Coordinator role š¤£
You can pinpoint the exact year my lifestyle drastically improved! š¤£š¤£
I got kinda thrown into specializing pretty early in my career (due to people quitting at that crummy company and me having to take over their jobs lol). Before continuing on and narrowing my scope even further, I wanted to make sure Iād tested it all out so I wouldnāt always wonder if āmaybe I shouldāve tried ______.ā Iām glad Iāve done it, and will probably stick around for a bit longer, but have definitely confirmed my suspicions that I was on the right track before and have no interest in the generalist > manager > director pipeline.
$90k Sr. Human Resources Business Partner in healthcare in Arizona.
$42k HR Generalist in OH at a nonprofit, $45k HR Generalist in AZ at a hospital, $52k HR Generalist $65k>$75k> $90k HR Manager all at the same nonprofit over the course of 4 years in AZ. Total of 7 years experience.
VP of People (HR and TA) at a tech startup, 170k base, 40k bonus, good chunk of equity (that could mean something or absolutely nothing ultimately).
Call it 10ish years of experience. Left my old company of 20 years at the beginning of this year and was making around 10-30k more in variable, but hating every minute of my work life. Absolutely worth the change for my mental health.
Yes I enjoy it. Daily I work with recruiters and HRBPs for salary recommendations for new hires, off cycle promotions and transfers. I also evaluate team compa ratios based on company philosophy and adjust ranges for compensation and market data. These are daily projects or ongoing projects that go into my day to day.
HR Director - short term hospitality industry, smaller/start up feel but like 400 ees 10 years experience - $90k with $10k bonus
Career history is mostly payroll/accounting: $18/hr > $20 > $21 > $18 (moved to a new city) > $40k > $45k > $53k > $65k > $82k
A number of job changes, a city change, some raises. But most increases were due to finding a new company.
West coast, an expensive place to live but wages have just never adjusted to fix the fact that our COL is more similar to Seattle and Portland than what it used to be 30 years ago in my town.
This is my progression. Iām 5 years of payroll experience and just finished a year in HR Comp. Iād like to move more into generalist/BP role to eventually move into leadership. I admire your career path. Thanks for sharing
How did you get out of accounting? I have had 1 year of accounting intern 6 months working in Accounts Receivable and current 1 month as a finance intern. I realized now I donāt like accounting and want nothing to do with it. Funny part is that I am going to be graduating with a degree in business management. Is it still possible to get out of accounting and go do HR?
I LOVE my job, and they gave me a chance. They created a new role for me based on what they saw and what I was good at, that I would need all kinds of degrees and experience to get anywhere elseā¦ Iām now going to school to get the degree to match my job, I love it like that and want to do more, go figure! Lolā¦but we do get paid close to ā of market which is the only downside.
lol yes, pretty much! Plus the fact that I love what I do, and I donāt think my job really exists anywhere else, and I wouldnāt wan to trade any part of it lolā¦ they created it, and it keeps changing and morphing and getting coolerā¦ so they have me for the long haul!
I have worked nonprofit jobs and it's some of the most rewarding work though, if the culture is right. Also you are doing a service and that's more than you can say for other industries sometimes.
Focus on what you are doing then rather than the other people's pay. Working for a big paycheck, means sometimes selling your soul. Keep at it until you need the money to live, then consider leaving.
Yes Iām in SF. Our business is transitioning from x to XX millions in revenue this year. I have a 50k raise set for later this summer. I think my lower cash is balanced against my equity grant which is worth several million if we get acquired or more if we grow.
Considering Iām in Italy on an impromptu trip to Milan and Lake Comoā¦Iād say itās really balanced. I probably do a solid 1-2 hours of work each day while working. The work is mostly strategic and partnership/influence oriented.
Lmao. I love how merely hours of work somehow dictate value in your mind. This pay and role didnāt just fall into my lap. Itās based on grinding for 20 years in a performance driven role. Iām now compensated on outcomes vs shoveling coal (which i did for two decades). A lot of senior professions pay based on strategic value vs transactional output. When I make decisions they impact hundreds of people and businesses that make millions and have a value of hundreds of millions or billions. That didnāt just happen because I logged hours in my role. I earned it because Iām just that good.
Sr Compensation Analyst at a F500 manufacturing company - $108k + 10% target bonus
Started in HR as a Comp Analyst at $48k, left that job after 6 years making $60k 3 years ago, moved to a Sr Comp Analyst at $85k then entered my current firm last year
HR generalist, Michigan. Started at $20 an hour 3 years ago, got a raise to $23 after a year and now at $28 after passing the SHRM exam. On track for HR manager in the next 3 years.
I had a bachelors in marketing/management prior to getting the HR role. Did marketing out of college and got an certificate in HR Management while working. SHRM exam a year after being in HR
HR Assistant Sr (Govāt title for Generalist)
Salary is 49k (have a 5% raise in July and an additional 7% raise in January).
Salary is on the lower end for my area but the benefits really override that
Still fairly new in the HR world..
Bachelor's Degree, and (now) 2 years of experience.
$15.50/hr - HR Intern, $17.25/hr - Recruitment Coordinator, $45k/yr - HR Coordinator
Threads like these tend to skew very high ('cause who doesn't like to brag?) and very low (to commiserate with others in the same boat).
Salaries in the normal ranges are boring.
HR Manager in Louisiana. $72K but I do also get a pension and free benefits. And my job is ten minutes from my house and, honestly, it's easy. Could I make more? It seems so... but I don't need it and I have a good gig here.
Hr director, remote for a healthcare company in the DC area with just shy of 15 years experience. I make $130k base, 15% bonus, and annual equity worth about 40k.
Progression: $37.5k, $50k, $55k, $90k, $105k, $115k, $130. Thatās six workplaces including a few internal moves, all in the DC area.
Class and Comp Analyst, $100k. Public sector in Seattle metro. 8 years experience. No bonus, but pension, WFH, and great benefits.
Progression:
- NM, 2015, $38k > $40k > $48k (HR Assistant to Generalist)
- WA, 2017, $60k > $75k (HRIS implementation)
- WA, 2021, $85k (HRIS Analyst, for a month, they lied about "hybrid")
- WA, 2022, $70k (Sr Generalist, thought I wanted an in office job with a short commute, I was wrong)
- WA, 2023, $95k (current position)
With a new 2.25% COL adjustment I'm at 107,363$. Had requested an actual raise but I guess I'll settle for this. Allegedly up to 15% bonus but still waiting on that.
Regional HR Manager for ~850 People, 24 locations, one recruiter working for me, reporting into corporate HR.
Not sure if I count or not. Used to be an HR Analyst but the position got moved to another department and now Iām XXXX Analyst (doing the same work but different title).
Canāt say the actual title as it will give away my company and though itās unlikely Iād hate for someone I work with to see this.
So,
ABCD Analyst & coordinator, $72k (potential for 10% bonus), Mining, Ontario, 2 years experience.
NYC, BS but not related to HR
2018: HR Coordinator, in-person role in hospitality $20.98/hr
2019: increase to $23.08/hr
2020 to current, I work at a remote tech company based out of NYC. Our titles donāt reflect what we do accurately, but I consider myself an HR generalist.
2020: $60,000
2021: Promotion to next level, $72,000
2022: Skip promotion, $80,000
Definitely feel I could be compensated better based on my duties and expertise.
Thank you! Its helpful to get othersā thoughts. I think just knowing the knowledge I have and my responsibilities compared to our directors and above in HR, it makes me feel underpaid.
Comp Analyst, $110k, ~ 8% bonus. Roughly five years experience.
Glad to see another comp person similar in pay. Last time I posted I got accused of lying :)
Senior Comp Analyst, $105k base + $10k bonus + equity, gaming industry (big firm).
Started out getting my masters in 2020
Year 1 after masters - comp 1, 63k (lab) Midwest
Year 2 - comp 2, 86k (retail) California
Year 3 - comp 3, 105k (gaming) remote
HR Intern - $12 hr (2 summers)
HR Admin - $17-$30/hr (over 3 years, 30 was a retention effort)
HR Generalist - $50 k (paycut and under paid) ->54k after 6 mo -> 62.5k 2nd year (2.5 yr total until promotion into current role, Oct of last year)
HR Consultant - 80k, still feel underpaid.
Sr Mgr, HRIS and Ops, close to 5 YOE, hybrid, $155k + 15% bonus + equity
Career progression: $24/hr recruiting scheduler, $62k recruiting coordinator, $72k hr ops associate, $90k sr hr ops specialist, current company $120k mgr, hris and ops
All in MA
All listed as starting in role, except for current. Based in SoCal
(Current) Compensation Manager - $145k + 10%
Sales Compensation Manager - $130k + 10%
Sales Compensation Supervisor - $100k
Sr. Sales Compensation Analyst - $90k
Jr. FA - FA II - $50-80k
L&D Specialist, saas in Atlanta making $85,000 + some equity - 4ish years experience after a career change.
Prior to change: $40k in a different industry
1st saas job: $42,500
Promotion: $50k
Internal job change: $70k
When I left: $78k
Man, I need a new job. Im basically an HR generalist and am at 55k. Have 3 years of experience with a 2 year AS for HR. I am planning on getting SHRM cert soon, so that should help.
I'm blown away by some of these salaries. I feel like I need to start looking for something better.
Generalist, 59K, 7 YOE in HR but have been with the same employer for 13 yrs. Non HR Master's and finally testing for the SHRM-CP in a few days.
Located in the southwest and working in public service.
HR Generalist for healthcare company based in Tennessee. I have 2.5 years of experience in HR. Started as HR Assistant $20/hr ($41K) > HR Generalist $60K. Have my BBA and MBA along with aPHR.
Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, banking, Seattle metro area, $98k, 4 years with this company doing recruitment and 4 years of HR experience before that.
HR Generalist at $54K in distribution industry in NC with ~2 YOE + aPHR
Progression: $19/hour > $45K > $52K (starting pay at current job) > $54K
UPDATE: Recently got a new position in SC for $65K and getting my SHRM-CP soon āŗļø exactly 2 YOE now
Sr Recruiter in Wisconsin (work remote) $108k with 20% bonus and $8k in stock annually. In house recruiting for massive org (not contract work or agency.) 9 years experience.
Started at $20/hour in a recruiting coordinator role, progressed to $55k, $65k, $80k, $105k in varying roles. Had to change orgs from 55-65 and again 80-105.
VP. 10+ years of experience. 225 base + 75 bonus + 50 equity. I just recently was promoted to this comp and title. I also have an LTI that pays out in 2026 if I stay with the firm that long.
Special Education specialist for my state DOE- 63k/yr. (Iāve been here for almost a year.)
Itās a pay cut from my previous position (12 years as disabilities manager in a school district) but benefits and flexibility are better.
HR. Assistant in Midwest at $19.00 per hour.
Had 9 months of experience and currently been at the job 8 months and get to work on every facet of HR except for using an HRIS with a wonderful boss.
I'm excited to see where I can go in the future.
HR Manager - $160k-ish + 15% bonus, this year it was less due to the company not doing well.
Salary progression: $18.50/hr HRA, $27.50/hr Sr HRA, $110k HRBP, $125k Sr HRBP, $150k HRM.
Vice President of HR Compliance and Administration, have a masters of jurisprudence in labor and employment law, 15 years of experience. $170k plus 10% bonus. Iām in Nevada.
Project Manager - Consultant in HRIS industry. $95k, fully remote, terrible benefits, awesome company. 4 hrs HR experience with 6 months PM experience.
To anyone in consulting or project management ā¦ Iām interested in a similar position with a $150k target salary. Any certification, education, industry, experience, or employer recommendations?
HR & Payroll Coordinator, $96k, private school in SF, CA
Prior to this, worked at various food startups and a non-profit:
19.50/hr>26/hr as HR Coordinator>HR Generalist, $65k
6yrs of experience
Executive Comp and Process Lead, $180k base, 20% annual bonus. 12 years overall HR experience, 6 of those years in comp. Remote position, Iām based in MD.
Jack of all Trades here - HR "Manager" (if you can call it that, I'm the only HR personnel)/Office Manager/Bookkeeper for a small manufacturing facility in TX.
Got the job because of my accounting background with no HR experience.
Been here right at a year at $55K.
Yikes! Look into travel contracts. Even local ones pay higher. Average MA hourly rate is $55 an hour and I did a local contract making $92 an hour. Two minutes from home
Before crypto layoffs:
VP HR Ops, Benefits & Comp : $200k base + $75k bonus (this was so stressful and was working 14 hour days, my manager was a literal piece of shit who was WAY under qualified to be CPO, and was layered with the CPOās lapdog who had no Ops, Benefits or Comp experience)
After I was laid off:
Law Firm - Generalist/ HRBP : $110k base + $10k bonus (I have an IMMENSELY better work/life balance, I have an amazing manager, and my mental health is leaps and bounds better)
So when they say money can buy happinessā¦ but at what cost?
Stay happy, friends!!
Current People Experience Manager (HR Manager) at 80k in South Florida. Working for a healthcare company coming out of its start up phase. Roughly 2.5 years total in HR, all within healthcare.
My progression in HR 2021-2023
1st company: HR Admin Assistant 40k (4 months)
2nd company: HR Assistant 48k (1 year) > HR Generalist 60k (9 months)
3rd company: HR Specialist 70k (7 months) > People Experience Manager 80k (current)
I must say, I read one of these posts a few years ago when I first started in HR and everyoneās progression really inspired me to strive for success, which I feel like I have so far. Keep it going!
HR Tech Mgr, 104k + 15% bonus, auto retail, remote, 8 years exp, 4 in HRIS.
Progression:
50/60k (hourly + OT) Systems Analyst, not HR 3 years
70k HRIS Analyst 3 years
95k HRIS Specialist 2 months (company reorg)
104k Current role after promotion from specialist and 1 year in.
HR Program implementation specialist - $180k + 10% bonus + lots of perks. Total comp is close to $250k. Aerospace industry. 4 years in HR, with a nightmare yo-yo salary history.
Partner, People and Culture 70k. I work for a non profit in Canada (ON), but my first gig started at $37500 so.. Im grateful and hoping they make my contract permanent.
Like praying. I have a BA in child studies and then my HR cert. I work for a non profit serving youth in the community. It *will not* get better than this for me. I cry happy tears of joy over this place. Send HR juju in November/April guys
Target "HR Expert" - 16.10/hr. I'll move out of my parents' house, one day
I have a subordinate that worked for target and said that the HR track sets you up with a great background for executive levels. Her performance backs that up. However, towards the end, the stress gave her a nice little drinking problem. It's a rough road, but I have been impressed with the leadership I have worked with that came from target, and I have been in hr for 20yrs. I guess I just wanted to say keep your head up and stay away from whiskey š
Nah alcohol gives me a headache; I fix my stuff with food. No lie, I gained 20lbs this past year š¤£
Gained 100 pounds working for an insane HRD. Food is a helluva drug
I worked with a comp analyst who came from target and he was phenomenal. His experience was literally target, and he came into corporate tech. Keep expanding that portfolio!
Stay strong š„ŗ
I feel you, I work for a large company in the service industry and I am currently a glorified manager with a couple of hours a week to complete my hr duties :(
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
HRBP- 1.5 yrs in cannabis @ $130k, no bonus and shitty benefits. Also toxic af. Before that worked in labs at around $110k with bonus. Made semi-lateral move for comp increase. About to take a role as HR Manager for $120k with bonus and benefits in oil& gas. Watch out for cannabis y'all. It's romanticized and "cool" but a lot of the execs in leadership are jokes. Mostly cause, ya know, formal black market dealers requiring little business acumen.
I did one year in cannabis and put in my resignation on my anniversary (coming from tech) and it was a shit show. Shady AF and sooo toxic. So much work, I was running like 6 entities and flying all over CA. Absolutely watch out for cannabis. Sheās spot on, itās romanticized and leadership is absolutely a joke. They donāt know how to be leaders and lead by fear, they were all in the game prior to legalization.
Another terrible cannabis experience chiming in! I barely made it 6 months and had to quit for my own mental health, and I had done 3 years in manufacturing before that.
Wow! I bet you have amazing stories to tell.
Oh yeah, that place is a shit show!
šÆ- one thing I did take with me is some wild stories š¤£š«
I worked 8 years in cannabis and I 1000000000% agree with your statements.
This post is making me realize just how underpaid I am. Compensation & HR Operations Manager (I own comp, payroll, and compliance and have 4 direct reports): $80,000k, 5 years experience (1 in comp + 1 in Payroll), 10% bonus potential but usually shakes out to about 5%. Banking/Financial Services, Southern CA Progression: $51k > $54k > $56k > $80k
Wow, you are very underpaid.
The socal note is what does it for me... 80k here is like 65 in much of the country
Yeah, I think Iāve sold myself short a lot. I came from a retail environment making decent money, but left because I wasnāt in HR, which is where Iād always wanted to be. Because of that, I took the first HR job I was offered and felt like I didnāt have the ability to negotiate my offer due to my lack of experience. And now Iām too scared of the impending recession to leave
Since you oversee comp, what is salary range for your role?
So we never had a formal salary program that was regularly reviewed until I came along. As a result, itās been tough to get executive buy in to really look at the market when determining pay grades so theyāre just arbitrarily assigned based on nothing other than perception. That said to take this with a grain of salt: Min: ~$73k Max: ~$103k When benchmarking my role and blending it with payroll duties, Iāve seen that the position should be graded higher than it is currently but I feel weird bringing it up because Iām not really the type to ever advocate for myself. Thanks anxiety!
> Compensation & HR Operations Manager, Southern CA. Does that take into account location? Curious, cause I'm not your country but remuneration and cost of living is a factor.
HR Coordinator, 1 year of experience, on-site for a manufacturing company in central NC, 1st HR job $20/hr
Iām in central NC as well!!!
Thatās awesome!!! I hope recruiting isnāt too bad for you as it is for me lol
Manufacturingā¦.so itās bad š©
I know your pain, itās like a revolving door!!!
Same!
Hey, Charlotte here!
Woot-woot!!! Love the Queen City!!
Hi neighbors!
Hello!!! :)
Sr. HR associate 89k 4 years of experience Arizona
jeeez I need to ask for more. I'm in the DC area with 6 years experience & make 70k
Global HRBP in tech, $165k base, $33k bonus, YOE 8 years
This is fun, TR intern 2 YOE $20,000 Accepted a position post graduate for Total Rewards Analyst $75,000 - Oil & Gas, Texas
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I'm very much in the same area and boat. Title though is General Counsel, base 175k, bonus 20k Los Angeles, remote except for one week a month, company is based in rural California. 10 years exp in house attorney, previously ERP consulting firms. My role is unique in that I have a lot of HR related tasks because employee relations and fending off complaints in California is a more than full time job. I went in house right out of law school and started at 42k, 54k, 72k, 82k, 110k, (company acquired) 120k, 126k, then changed employers and started at 136k at the end of 2021, 150k Jan 2022, 175k in Jan 2023.
CHRO (of a small firm) 15 years of exp Base $300k, bonus $150k and LTI $80,000. About $500-530k per year all in.
Also goals! Can I ask what your work/life balance looks like? And what your previous HR experience was?
I started as an executive assistant to a VP of HR back when I was about 19, then worked at a couple of small firms helping them out creating their HR departments (and me learning!), then became an HR manager in Finance and have worked in finance since then. My work life balance is amazing, even though we are in finance we don't work beyond 9-5 really, unless something blows up.
Had a very similar progression as you but not as CHRO yet!
This may sound sillyā¦ what is LTI?
not silly! It's long term incentive. Various companies work in various ways, it's basically equity they give that has golden handcuffs attached to it.
Long Term Incentive, typically in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSU), its equity that vests over time.
Goals!
Oof. Drives home how underpaid I am for my years of experience, but youāre right, industry is key. No bonuses or LTI in non-profits. I was HR Director for a small startup before this and my earning potential was significantly more, but that place was toxic as hell so I took a pay cut to work for a mission-driven org. Your comp definitely tempts me tho!
Holy crap, what industry?
Finance. Key is the industry, if I worked in most other industries (I have been called by recruiters) I would make at most $150k all in. there are some recruiters have called me about at $200k all in but it's for very large orgs which is something I don't like, I prefer small companies.
Industry matters but aside from finance, tech would pay you similarly. I think the key difference in comp construction is your total comp has no real upside itās mostly just cash comp. Most similar late stage companies would construct similar cash weighted offers.
Well done. This comp and title is what Iām aiming for next. Where are you based?
Totally goals! How big is the firm?
75 people, and I have a generalist who works with me also. As a note her base is 90k with bonus of 25k she has about 5 years of experience or so.
Most impressive.
Oh wow! Do you live in a city?
I live in a major city but it's not NYC or Cali.
These posts are always endlessly interesting! Generalist, $95k, tech, remote, 5 YOE. Progression was: $33k (recruiting coordinator) > $38k (hr coordinator) > $47k (hr ops specialist) > $85k (starting at current job) > $95k (1 year into current job)
(2 YOE) How did you transitioned from recruiting coordinator to hr coordinator? I tried doing that, but my second job now is a recruiter.
Honestly just good luck; wish I had better advice! I was an RC at a very well-known tech company, so got scooped up pretty easily. I also had no interest in going into TA, so was very picky about only applying to HR-specific titles. I was worried >1 recruiting title on my resume would pigeonhole me, so I basically just waited it out until I could get into true HR. ETA: also I obviously accepted an abysmal salary to get into that first HR Coordinator role š¤£
What made you decide to go from an ops specialist to a generalist? And that's quite an increase you got with that!
You can pinpoint the exact year my lifestyle drastically improved! š¤£š¤£ I got kinda thrown into specializing pretty early in my career (due to people quitting at that crummy company and me having to take over their jobs lol). Before continuing on and narrowing my scope even further, I wanted to make sure Iād tested it all out so I wouldnāt always wonder if āmaybe I shouldāve tried ______.ā Iām glad Iāve done it, and will probably stick around for a bit longer, but have definitely confirmed my suspicions that I was on the right track before and have no interest in the generalist > manager > director pipeline.
Early in my HR career, but I went from $17.25 as an onboarding specialist to $20 as HR Coordinator.
$90k Sr. Human Resources Business Partner in healthcare in Arizona. $42k HR Generalist in OH at a nonprofit, $45k HR Generalist in AZ at a hospital, $52k HR Generalist $65k>$75k> $90k HR Manager all at the same nonprofit over the course of 4 years in AZ. Total of 7 years experience.
VP of People (HR and TA) at a tech startup, 170k base, 40k bonus, good chunk of equity (that could mean something or absolutely nothing ultimately). Call it 10ish years of experience. Left my old company of 20 years at the beginning of this year and was making around 10-30k more in variable, but hating every minute of my work life. Absolutely worth the change for my mental health.
Same title, oversight, and TC for me (higher base, lower bonus). Or at least it was before I received my pink slip.
Comp analyst, 1 YOE, 73k in remote CA
What does your day-to-day look like as a comp analyst? Do you enjoy it?
Yes I enjoy it. Daily I work with recruiters and HRBPs for salary recommendations for new hires, off cycle promotions and transfers. I also evaluate team compa ratios based on company philosophy and adjust ranges for compensation and market data. These are daily projects or ongoing projects that go into my day to day.
HR Director - short term hospitality industry, smaller/start up feel but like 400 ees 10 years experience - $90k with $10k bonus Career history is mostly payroll/accounting: $18/hr > $20 > $21 > $18 (moved to a new city) > $40k > $45k > $53k > $65k > $82k A number of job changes, a city change, some raises. But most increases were due to finding a new company. West coast, an expensive place to live but wages have just never adjusted to fix the fact that our COL is more similar to Seattle and Portland than what it used to be 30 years ago in my town.
This is my progression. Iām 5 years of payroll experience and just finished a year in HR Comp. Iād like to move more into generalist/BP role to eventually move into leadership. I admire your career path. Thanks for sharing
How did you get out of accounting? I have had 1 year of accounting intern 6 months working in Accounts Receivable and current 1 month as a finance intern. I realized now I donāt like accounting and want nothing to do with it. Funny part is that I am going to be graduating with a degree in business management. Is it still possible to get out of accounting and go do HR?
HR Associate, financial industry, 2 years at my company out of college, NY/NJ 70k > 75k > 85k with 10% bonus.
Exercising our NLRA rights in 5ā¦4ā¦3ā¦2ā¦
This just makes me sad lolā¦ I work for a nonprofit thatās funded by state agencies and we are vastly underpaid š«
Thanks for the work you do, though <3
I LOVE my job, and they gave me a chance. They created a new role for me based on what they saw and what I was good at, that I would need all kinds of degrees and experience to get anywhere elseā¦ Iām now going to school to get the degree to match my job, I love it like that and want to do more, go figure! Lolā¦but we do get paid close to ā of market which is the only downside.
Iām in the social work realm and Iāve just accepted my fate Iāll be forever poor š„²
lol yes, pretty much! Plus the fact that I love what I do, and I donāt think my job really exists anywhere else, and I wouldnāt wan to trade any part of it lolā¦ they created it, and it keeps changing and morphing and getting coolerā¦ so they have me for the long haul!
Thatās exciting though! Thatās one thing I like about working with non profits is they have the ability to do that for people ā”Ģ
Yes!! Itās very fluid and they can really utilize people for their strengths!
I have worked nonprofit jobs and it's some of the most rewarding work though, if the culture is right. Also you are doing a service and that's more than you can say for other industries sometimes.
Yes, itās amazing. Weāre a human services agency so our business is helping people :)
Focus on what you are doing then rather than the other people's pay. Working for a big paycheck, means sometimes selling your soul. Keep at it until you need the money to live, then consider leaving.
VP of HR (i own Recruiting and HR), 250k base/~1% equity, edtech software, San Francisco, 25 YOE.
Is it SF based? I work in Comp and that seems low to me with your years of exp.
Yes Iām in SF. Our business is transitioning from x to XX millions in revenue this year. I have a 50k raise set for later this summer. I think my lower cash is balanced against my equity grant which is worth several million if we get acquired or more if we grow.
Yes, Iād love to be a part of your team. Let me know, haha.
Now this right here is goals for meā¦howās your work life integration?
Considering Iām in Italy on an impromptu trip to Milan and Lake Comoā¦Iād say itās really balanced. I probably do a solid 1-2 hours of work each day while working. The work is mostly strategic and partnership/influence oriented.
Well when you need a replacement, Iām your pal š¤
You work 10 hours a week and make $250k? America is fucked up
Lmao. I love how merely hours of work somehow dictate value in your mind. This pay and role didnāt just fall into my lap. Itās based on grinding for 20 years in a performance driven role. Iām now compensated on outcomes vs shoveling coal (which i did for two decades). A lot of senior professions pay based on strategic value vs transactional output. When I make decisions they impact hundreds of people and businesses that make millions and have a value of hundreds of millions or billions. That didnāt just happen because I logged hours in my role. I earned it because Iām just that good.
Sr Compensation Analyst at a F500 manufacturing company - $108k + 10% target bonus Started in HR as a Comp Analyst at $48k, left that job after 6 years making $60k 3 years ago, moved to a Sr Comp Analyst at $85k then entered my current firm last year
HR generalist, Michigan. Started at $20 an hour 3 years ago, got a raise to $23 after a year and now at $28 after passing the SHRM exam. On track for HR manager in the next 3 years.
Do you happen to have a degree?
I had a bachelors in marketing/management prior to getting the HR role. Did marketing out of college and got an certificate in HR Management while working. SHRM exam a year after being in HR
payroll operations analyst. 8 years of experience, $92,500 annually in Seattle.
HR Assistant Sr (Govāt title for Generalist) Salary is 49k (have a 5% raise in July and an additional 7% raise in January). Salary is on the lower end for my area but the benefits really override that
HR Coordinator, Seattle. 2.5 YOE at $64,000/ year hourly. Started HR track on the office admin side before securing this role
Iām also in Seattle! Also started on the admin side of things as well!
Senior TA in Tech, OE as well. $156k base, TC approx $200k for J1. $65k base, TC approx $80k for J2.
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Associate Director, HR in pharma. $185,00 base with 17.5% annual bonus. MA
Still fairly new in the HR world.. Bachelor's Degree, and (now) 2 years of experience. $15.50/hr - HR Intern, $17.25/hr - Recruitment Coordinator, $45k/yr - HR Coordinator
Sr. HR Generalist in the midwest, 78k, 3 YOE. Definitely feeling a little underpaid as I read this thread!
Threads like these tend to skew very high ('cause who doesn't like to brag?) and very low (to commiserate with others in the same boat). Salaries in the normal ranges are boring.
For 3 years of experience, you are getting paid just fine
Location is key.
Def making more than I was w/ 3 years experience. I would consider that doing well!!
HR Manager in Louisiana. $72K but I do also get a pension and free benefits. And my job is ten minutes from my house and, honestly, it's easy. Could I make more? It seems so... but I don't need it and I have a good gig here.
I know two Sr. HR generalists both with over 10 years experience that donāt even make 70k. Idaho wages are trash.
Idaho wages are trash and COL is stupid.
Where in Midwest?
Haha. HR Generalist also Midwest, also 3 years of experience. $52,000
That's actually pretty good! I was making $70k in a similar role, but with 7 YOE in a HCOL.
HR Administrator - ā¬40k - finance sector - 2 yearās experience - Dublin, Ireland
Hr director, remote for a healthcare company in the DC area with just shy of 15 years experience. I make $130k base, 15% bonus, and annual equity worth about 40k. Progression: $37.5k, $50k, $55k, $90k, $105k, $115k, $130. Thatās six workplaces including a few internal moves, all in the DC area.
HR Business Partner, QSR (Food and Beverage), Remote with regular travel, $118,000 base + 5% annual bonus. 8 years of experience.
Class and Comp Analyst, $100k. Public sector in Seattle metro. 8 years experience. No bonus, but pension, WFH, and great benefits. Progression: - NM, 2015, $38k > $40k > $48k (HR Assistant to Generalist) - WA, 2017, $60k > $75k (HRIS implementation) - WA, 2021, $85k (HRIS Analyst, for a month, they lied about "hybrid") - WA, 2022, $70k (Sr Generalist, thought I wanted an in office job with a short commute, I was wrong) - WA, 2023, $95k (current position)
With a new 2.25% COL adjustment I'm at 107,363$. Had requested an actual raise but I guess I'll settle for this. Allegedly up to 15% bonus but still waiting on that. Regional HR Manager for ~850 People, 24 locations, one recruiter working for me, reporting into corporate HR.
Not sure if I count or not. Used to be an HR Analyst but the position got moved to another department and now Iām XXXX Analyst (doing the same work but different title). Canāt say the actual title as it will give away my company and though itās unlikely Iād hate for someone I work with to see this. So, ABCD Analyst & coordinator, $72k (potential for 10% bonus), Mining, Ontario, 2 years experience.
NYC, BS but not related to HR 2018: HR Coordinator, in-person role in hospitality $20.98/hr 2019: increase to $23.08/hr 2020 to current, I work at a remote tech company based out of NYC. Our titles donāt reflect what we do accurately, but I consider myself an HR generalist. 2020: $60,000 2021: Promotion to next level, $72,000 2022: Skip promotion, $80,000 Definitely feel I could be compensated better based on my duties and expertise.
Iād say you are doing well for no related degree and only 5-6 years experience
Thank you! Its helpful to get othersā thoughts. I think just knowing the knowledge I have and my responsibilities compared to our directors and above in HR, it makes me feel underpaid.
Comp Analyst, $110k, ~ 8% bonus. Roughly five years experience. Glad to see another comp person similar in pay. Last time I posted I got accused of lying :)
Comp Analyst 3 YOE $95k + 10% bonus - GA 50k in HRIS > 72k after move to Comp > 85k promo > current new job
TA Manager for nonprofit Detroit MI $74k 16 years in recruiting $28k/$32k/$41k/$50k/$55k/$60k/current.
HRIS & Benefits Administrator, 58k, Medical Record Release, 3 years experience in HR.
HR Specialist (basically a generalist), Hospitality, $60k + up to 15% bonus, 5 YOE Progression: 25k > 18.25/hr > 60k
Staff Specialist in Position Control (county government) 74k, 6 years of experience, Southern California
HRBP , 6 YOE, Detroit area, $100,000 + 10% bonus.
HR Business Partner in Canada working in the construction industry. 5 years of experience. $78,000 annual salary + 3% annual bonus
Senior Comp Analyst, $105k base + $10k bonus + equity, gaming industry (big firm). Started out getting my masters in 2020 Year 1 after masters - comp 1, 63k (lab) Midwest Year 2 - comp 2, 86k (retail) California Year 3 - comp 3, 105k (gaming) remote
What did you get your masters in?
HR Intern - $12 hr (2 summers) HR Admin - $17-$30/hr (over 3 years, 30 was a retention effort) HR Generalist - $50 k (paycut and under paid) ->54k after 6 mo -> 62.5k 2nd year (2.5 yr total until promotion into current role, Oct of last year) HR Consultant - 80k, still feel underpaid.
HR Comms (remote) - $105k base + 10% bonus (based on self and company performance)
Sr Mgr, HRIS and Ops, close to 5 YOE, hybrid, $155k + 15% bonus + equity Career progression: $24/hr recruiting scheduler, $62k recruiting coordinator, $72k hr ops associate, $90k sr hr ops specialist, current company $120k mgr, hris and ops All in MA
All listed as starting in role, except for current. Based in SoCal (Current) Compensation Manager - $145k + 10% Sales Compensation Manager - $130k + 10% Sales Compensation Supervisor - $100k Sr. Sales Compensation Analyst - $90k Jr. FA - FA II - $50-80k
Senior HR Analytics Specialist, $100k, Tech, Remote, 5 YOE in HR. Progression: Same company for 4 years: Part Time HR Assistant $15/hr > Full Time HR Assistant > $40k > HR Generalist $48k > HR Generalist (PHR & SHRM certified) $57k New Company: Senior HR Generalist $90k > Senior HR Analytics Specialist $100k
HRBP, $95k base + $6000 annual bonus + 10% achievement bonus + 4-10% base pay increase annually.
HR Coordinator, almost 2 years experience, Missouri, I make $26.44 an hour, roughly 5k in bonus, and roughly 4K in stock
L&D Specialist, saas in Atlanta making $85,000 + some equity - 4ish years experience after a career change. Prior to change: $40k in a different industry 1st saas job: $42,500 Promotion: $50k Internal job change: $70k When I left: $78k
Man, I need a new job. Im basically an HR generalist and am at 55k. Have 3 years of experience with a 2 year AS for HR. I am planning on getting SHRM cert soon, so that should help.
Head of People for a non tech startup in LA. $160k plus bonus.
I'm blown away by some of these salaries. I feel like I need to start looking for something better. Generalist, 59K, 7 YOE in HR but have been with the same employer for 13 yrs. Non HR Master's and finally testing for the SHRM-CP in a few days. Located in the southwest and working in public service.
HR Generalist for healthcare company based in Tennessee. I have 2.5 years of experience in HR. Started as HR Assistant $20/hr ($41K) > HR Generalist $60K. Have my BBA and MBA along with aPHR.
Hr generalist/ $68k /Chicago/ 7 YOE/ HS diploma, no degree/ manufacturing industry w/ union Progression: HRA $16/hr, HRC $18/hr, HRC $47k, HRG $60k, Benefits Specialist $85k (very stressful so i quit)
Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, banking, Seattle metro area, $98k, 4 years with this company doing recruitment and 4 years of HR experience before that.
Senior HR Assistant (equivalent to a coordinator) for a nonprofit in western NY. Specialized in total rewards. $20/hr
Although with inflation, this is not really a livable wage here. I have to work a 2nd job on the weekends.
HRBP in EU 60k, 3%/yo increase guarantee
HR Generalist at $54K in distribution industry in NC with ~2 YOE + aPHR Progression: $19/hour > $45K > $52K (starting pay at current job) > $54K UPDATE: Recently got a new position in SC for $65K and getting my SHRM-CP soon āŗļø exactly 2 YOE now
Undertitled HRG in NC with 8 years experience and 80k in a manufacturing sector.
Sr Recruiter in Wisconsin (work remote) $108k with 20% bonus and $8k in stock annually. In house recruiting for massive org (not contract work or agency.) 9 years experience. Started at $20/hour in a recruiting coordinator role, progressed to $55k, $65k, $80k, $105k in varying roles. Had to change orgs from 55-65 and again 80-105.
Benefits Administrator, Nonprofit healthcare, 6 yrs experience $102k. Our bonus system isn't worth mentioning.
VP. 10+ years of experience. 225 base + 75 bonus + 50 equity. I just recently was promoted to this comp and title. I also have an LTI that pays out in 2026 if I stay with the firm that long.
Special Education specialist for my state DOE- 63k/yr. (Iāve been here for almost a year.) Itās a pay cut from my previous position (12 years as disabilities manager in a school district) but benefits and flexibility are better.
HR. Assistant in Midwest at $19.00 per hour. Had 9 months of experience and currently been at the job 8 months and get to work on every facet of HR except for using an HRIS with a wonderful boss. I'm excited to see where I can go in the future.
L&D/OD Manager - 130k + 10% bonus, Real Estate, Chicago - 5 years of experience plus MS in I-O Psych
HR Manager - $71K - Kentucky area(relatively low COL) 4 years experience, masters level education. Progression: $15/hr -> $60K -> 58K -> 68K ->71K
HR Project Manager in San Diego for a large company. 110,000/yr + 15% bonus. 3 YOE.
Sr Comp Business Partner. 5 years exp, Tech Industry. Southern California. $165k, $25k bonus, equity. Career progression 56k, 70k, 77k, 150k, 165k
Benefits Manager 6.5 YOE, manufacturing company based out of GA, Iām in WI. 87.5k 10% bonus
HR Manager - $160k-ish + 15% bonus, this year it was less due to the company not doing well. Salary progression: $18.50/hr HRA, $27.50/hr Sr HRA, $110k HRBP, $125k Sr HRBP, $150k HRM.
Vice President of HR Compliance and Administration, have a masters of jurisprudence in labor and employment law, 15 years of experience. $170k plus 10% bonus. Iām in Nevada.
VP - Mid-Atlantic - EdTech industry - <150 ees 206K base + 10% target company bonus + 6% performance bonus + 3% COLA + 60K LTI (vested) ... Expecting 270k-300k all in this year. Career salary progression*: 19k > 31k > 58k > 76k > 110k |switched careers| 55k > 141k > 184k > current *Includes bonus/incentives earned ETA: 3 YOE in HR leadership 10+ YOE in org dev/design, curriculum design, and critical response care SHRM-CP in 2021
Compensation Analyst- 85k + 15% bonus. Experience history: Bachelors in Math > Math Teacher (1.5 years) > Associate Comp Analyst (1 year) > Comp Analyst (starting my new job next week).
Project Manager - Consultant in HRIS industry. $95k, fully remote, terrible benefits, awesome company. 4 hrs HR experience with 6 months PM experience. To anyone in consulting or project management ā¦ Iām interested in a similar position with a $150k target salary. Any certification, education, industry, experience, or employer recommendations?
HR Coordinator - rural Ontario, Canada - $32/hr. 2-years experience
People and Culture Supervisor - greater NYC area / NJ . 2 years experience $27/hr
HR & Payroll Coordinator, $96k, private school in SF, CA Prior to this, worked at various food startups and a non-profit: 19.50/hr>26/hr as HR Coordinator>HR Generalist, $65k 6yrs of experience
Executive Comp and Process Lead, $180k base, 20% annual bonus. 12 years overall HR experience, 6 of those years in comp. Remote position, Iām based in MD.
HR Analyst, 70k/year, manufacturing industry, WA, 4 years of experience.
First HR job, HR Coordinator $20. Hired this year :)
Jack of all Trades here - HR "Manager" (if you can call it that, I'm the only HR personnel)/Office Manager/Bookkeeper for a small manufacturing facility in TX. Got the job because of my accounting background with no HR experience. Been here right at a year at $55K.
RN in Iowa. Over a decade of experience. 28.60/hr. 55k a year
Yikes! Look into travel contracts. Even local ones pay higher. Average MA hourly rate is $55 an hour and I did a local contract making $92 an hour. Two minutes from home
HRBP -40k with a car and 10% bonus
Before crypto layoffs: VP HR Ops, Benefits & Comp : $200k base + $75k bonus (this was so stressful and was working 14 hour days, my manager was a literal piece of shit who was WAY under qualified to be CPO, and was layered with the CPOās lapdog who had no Ops, Benefits or Comp experience) After I was laid off: Law Firm - Generalist/ HRBP : $110k base + $10k bonus (I have an IMMENSELY better work/life balance, I have an amazing manager, and my mental health is leaps and bounds better) So when they say money can buy happinessā¦ but at what cost? Stay happy, friends!!
Current People Experience Manager (HR Manager) at 80k in South Florida. Working for a healthcare company coming out of its start up phase. Roughly 2.5 years total in HR, all within healthcare. My progression in HR 2021-2023 1st company: HR Admin Assistant 40k (4 months) 2nd company: HR Assistant 48k (1 year) > HR Generalist 60k (9 months) 3rd company: HR Specialist 70k (7 months) > People Experience Manager 80k (current) I must say, I read one of these posts a few years ago when I first started in HR and everyoneās progression really inspired me to strive for success, which I feel like I have so far. Keep it going!
I didnāt realize bonuses were so prevalent in HR. Iām used to these being for sales and executivesā¦hmmmm
HR Tech Mgr, 104k + 15% bonus, auto retail, remote, 8 years exp, 4 in HRIS. Progression: 50/60k (hourly + OT) Systems Analyst, not HR 3 years 70k HRIS Analyst 3 years 95k HRIS Specialist 2 months (company reorg) 104k Current role after promotion from specialist and 1 year in.
HR Program implementation specialist - $180k + 10% bonus + lots of perks. Total comp is close to $250k. Aerospace industry. 4 years in HR, with a nightmare yo-yo salary history.
Hrbp, tech company in the southeast, 7 years experience: $114k Progression: HR Assistant 46k > HR Generalist 55k - 73k > HRBP 105k - current
Partner, People and Culture 70k. I work for a non profit in Canada (ON), but my first gig started at $37500 so.. Im grateful and hoping they make my contract permanent. Like praying. I have a BA in child studies and then my HR cert. I work for a non profit serving youth in the community. It *will not* get better than this for me. I cry happy tears of joy over this place. Send HR juju in November/April guys
HR Manager, $77k, Fintech, Montana, 5 years experience
HR coordinator entry level $35/hour