2024

What is the Average HR Business Partner Salary?

A Human Resources Business Partner is a consultant who works side-by-side with the upper management, such as HR managers, to create and execute strategies that align with the organization’s business objectives. Considering it’s such a huge responsibility, the average HR business partner salary in the United States makes the HR business partner an attractive job title. According to popular salary reporting platforms Glassdoor, the HR director’s salary lies between the $59,000 and $182,000 range.

Knowing the average compensation for human resources business partners has many advantages. So if you’re a student looking for career advice, a recruiter considering what to pay your next hire, or an employee wondering if you’re getting paid fairly or not, the statistics are helpful for you.

This article will take you through what a human resource business partner does, their average compensation, and how their pay varies across different categories.

Let’s get started.

Average Human Resources Business Partner Salary

In the United States, the average base salary of human resources business partners varies from state to state.

However, what you get paid as a human resources business partner is also contingent upon various factors such as years of experience, the cost of living, size/type of an organization, etc.

The average base salary estimates for the HR business partner role are given below. These statistics show some common compensation metrics like the annual average salary for an HR business partner.

Glassdoor

Glassdoor is a go-to source for recruiters and candidates to get salary estimates for different roles.

According to the 3,509 salaries submitted, the average full-time HR business partner salary in the United States is $85,425 per year.

The overall average salary for a human resources business partner ranges from $64,000 to $125,000.

Remember – these estimates are based on different factors like the cost of living, industry, etc. Therefore, the figures vary according to the filters you use on the tool.

Indeed

According to Indeed, the national average human resources business partner salary is $102,059 (whereas the hourly average is $43.71).

These estimates are based on 2,445 salary reports from all across the US. The highest paying cities for human resources business partners include New York ($124,702), St. Louis ($122,845), and Atlanta ($103,760).

PayScale

PayScale is yet another trustworthy platform where you can get closer to accurate salary estimates for different positions.

According to their recent salary reports, the average salary for human resources business partners is $75,306 per year and $27.31 per hour in the United States.

If we count the bonuses ($6,632) and profit-sharing ($3,038), the average total becomes $84,976.

Career Outlook for a Human Resources Business Partner

Years of professional experience and the individual’s existing position are significant factors for deciding their HR business partner compensation. The role is also known as a human resources consultant in certain organizations.

Since the HR business partner role is already a senior position, the career path ahead isn’t too complicated. After a few more years of professional experience, the human resources professional can become a senior HR business partner and advise on more significant executive decisions. Afterward, they can head the whole human resources department by becoming the HR director.

The average salaries for more senior positions on the HR business partner career path (as per Glassdoor and reported in March 2022) are given below:

Senior HR Business Partner

While the human resources business partner role retains many duties and responsibilities, they play a more crucial role in strategic advising and planning. A senior HR business partner receives an average annual compensation of $134,075. According to Glassdoor, there are more than ten thousand job vacancies for this vital HR role.

HR Director

The HR director is responsible for the whole department’s decision-making and performance. Therefore, the transition from a senior advisory role like a senior HR business partner to this role makes sense. An HR director receives an average annual compensation of $141,281, and Glassdoor estimates there are nearly 200,000 opportunities for the position.

If you are interested in climbing through the ranks and achieving a top HR professional role with an impressive pay, you should check out the top-quality HR certifications at HR University.

Human Resources Certifications

Human Resources Business Partner Salary Across Different Locations

According to Indeed, the location-wise categorization of cities with the highest paying HR business partner salaries is as below.

US West Coast

Average annual salaries for HR business partners are as follows:

  • San Diego: $94,157
  • Phoenix: $89,742

U.S. Midwest/Rocky Mountains

Average annual salaries for HR business partners are as follows:

  • Denver: $93,589

U.S. East Coast

Average annual salaries for HR business partners are as follows:

  • New York: $101,433
  • Charlotte: $89,386

U.S. South

Average annual salaries for HR business partners are as follows:

  • Atlanta: $91,832
  • Dallas: $91,097

Education Level for HR Business Partner Role

The education level of the professional significantly affects the compensation of an individual within the human resources field. All organizations require a minimum Bachelor’s for their entry-level roles, and you can then transition to more serious roles. However, a Master’s can land you directly into more senior positions with higher pay.

For a human resources business partner role, you at least need a Bachelor’s in human resources management, finance, or organizational management. A minor or additional major in business administration can also add to your business administration skills.

Besides college degrees, certifications are also essential for an HR business partner’s qualifications. Some popular certifications you can pursue to add to your credibility as a business partner are given below:

  • HR University: One of the top-rated HR online certifications, HR University offers quality HR management certifications.
  • SHRM: Certifications from SHRM are industry-standard within the human resources field, and it offers a dedicated multi-level certification for HR business partners.
  • HRCI: It is another globally popular certification institute and currently offers a ‘Strategic Business Partner Certification.’

Such certifications from trustworthy and quality institutions add significant value to your resume and help you chase an impressive paycheck.

To learn more about the requirements for this role, watch below or read ahead.

HR Business Partner Salary Across Top Companies

As per Glassdoor, here is what the annual average HR business partner salary looks like in some of the top firms across different industries.

  • Amazon: $89,617
  • Google: $162,367
  • Verizon: $96,507
  • T-Mobile: $84,174
  • HP Inc.: $142,127

Conclusion

By hiring human resources business partners, organizations can make better decisions since experienced HR professionals now guide them about business strategies. A business partner helps a company make the most of its investments and make overall strategically more sound choices. Therefore, human resources business partners are crucial for companies who wish to expand and evolve intelligently.

Since being a human resources business partner means creating value for the business through the HR department, make sure you’re clear on what “value” means for your company. Once your vision aligns with the organization’s, you are more productive as an HR business partner and get compensated more handsomely. Additionally, you get to work with senior management like human resources managers.

With the proper credentials, skillsets, and experience, you can land the human resources business partner role and reap the benefits that come with it.


If you are new to Human Resources and are looking to break into an HR business partner role, we recommend taking our HR Certification Courses, where you will learn how to build your skillset in human resources, build your human resources network, craft an excellent HR resume, and create a successful job search strategy.

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Josh Fechter
Josh Fechter is the founder of HR.University. He's a certified HR professional and has managed global teams across 5 different continents including their benefits and payroll. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.