What is the Average HR Consultant Salary?
According to estimates from Glassdoor, the HR consultant’s salary range in the US is $86,079 per year. According to the wage data from Zippia, the national average salary for an HR consultant has risen from $30,800 to $76,632 in 2022. The salary estimates depend on several factors such as experience, education, location, and industry.
The higher 10 percent of human resources consultants are paid more than $100,000, while the lowest 10 percent earn less than $44,000. The top paying U.S cities are Los Angeles: $96,553, San Francisco: $93,273, Houston: $75,543, New York: $73,697, Minneapolis: $73,697.
Let’s get started.
Average Human Resources Consultant Salary
The HR consultant position is a full-time job in most organizations; however, some organizations can hire human resources consultants in contractual or part-time positions. In any case, HR consultant jobs tend to be different depending on the company and industry. As a result, you can find several related jobs with the same job description with alternate job titles.
A human resources consultant ensures that your company effectively uses its personnel to achieve its stated goals. Other job duties may include developing, reviewing, and implementing HR policies and procedures, analyzing your company’s current HR programs, and recommending solutions. Overseeing all HR departments, you need to ensure productivity, efficiency, and compliance with workflow.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average HR consultant makes around $62,290 in the United States. According to their database, around 73,400 HR specialists and consultants jobs exist in the US. HR specialists mostly work in office settings. However, some, particularly recruitment specialists, travel to visit campuses, attend job fairs, and meet potential applicants. Most human resources specialists work full-time during standard business hours.
In any case, it is best to look at a few other sources to understand how much an HR consultant makes, according to individual salary reports.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a recognized website where you can find various salary reviews and estimates. Employees can upload anonymous yearly salary reports, evaluate their employers, and enter benefits details, the expense of living estimates, and total compensation.
According to Glassdoor, the average base remuneration for HR consultants is $86,096. Additionally, the highest salary range is $103,424.
Furthermore, Glassdoor lets you scan different salary estimations by adding more filters. You can create a more specific search by adding the next filters:
- Choose the industry you are in or that you would like to enter.
- Enter the estimated size of the business according to the total number of employees.
- Enter the total yearly experience for the role.
Adding the filters mentioned refine your tracking and estimate the HR consultant’s salary better according to your requirements. Authorities and experts calculate using the salary details entered by people. However, some firms also incorporate their salaries at times.
Moreover, you can also find the estimated salaries of related jobs, such as the lead HR consultant salaries.
Indeed
Indeed is one of the most well-known job-search engines used by millions of people in the United States alone. However, it is also a fantastic place to find suitable salary estimates based on the thousands of jobs posted on the website.
The average base salary for a human resources consultant in the United States is $78,813.
The site also showcases the most common benefits companies offer to HR consultants. Some include referral programs, health insurance, disability insurance, AD&D insurance, and 401k matching.
Indeed also categorizes what cities offer the most salaries to human resources consultants. The highest-paying cities include New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Columbia, Charlotte, Columbus, and Tampa.
Lastly, you can set up new job position alerts based on specific salaries. Therefore, you will only get job alerts for HR consulting jobs with one particular human resources salary or above.
PayScale
PayScale is a reliable website for getting salary estimates, data, total compensation, and other benefits. The site also provides cost of living estimates, gender-based pay estimates, and other pay-related information.
As per PayScale, the average median salary for HR consultants in the US is $76,079. Human Resources consultant salaries go up to $15,000 in bonuses and $10,000 through profit-sharing.
The average HR consultant’s salary ranges between $52,000 and $110,000. PayScale details what states offer the most impressive human resources consultant salaries. You can earn the most in California, Seattle, and New York as a dedicated HR consultant.
Comparably
Comparably provides comprehensive and accurate compensation and culture data to understand employees’ true needs to improve workplaces.
According to Comparably, the average median salary for HR consultants in the US is $108,693. The average bonus for a Human Resources Consultant is $9,000, which represents 8% of their salary, with 100% of people reporting that they receive a bonus each year. Human Resources Consultants make the most in Boston at $111,556, averaging total compensation 3% greater than the US average.
Comparably also shows what cities offer the most salaries to human resources consultants. Again, the highest-paying cities include Boston, New York, Washington, San Francisco, Houston, and Seattle.
Career Outlook for an HR Consultant
After getting significant professional experience and creating an expansive portfolio, an HR consultant moves on to more important roles. The compensation for more senior human resources consultant positions depends on the industry, location, and the number of responsibilities in the job description.
After becoming a professional consultant, an individual can advance to a senior HR consultant role based on their experience in the field. After gaining some years of experience and handling significant tasks, they become the lead HR consultant. Eventually, they can become an HR manager or Organisational Development managers.
The average salaries for more senior positions on the human resources consultant career path (as per Glassdoor and reported in August 2022) are given below:
HR Consultant
An HR consultant ensures that human capital serves the best interest of a company or organization and is called upon to advise companies on issues that involve the inner workings of a workforce. You cannot be an entry-level consultant for this role; you need a year of experience in a Human Resources consultant job to earn $103,460 per year.
Senior HR Consultant
A senior HR consultant manages to administer human resources policies and procedures and takes responsibility for the successful, timely completion of human resource-related projects and initiatives. The average total annual pay for a senior human resources consultant is $117,451. The job position requires two to four years of professional consultancy experience.
Lead HR Consultant
This role is significantly senior and leads a team of researchers who track and analyze metrics and suggest their insight improve decision-making. Thus, this role requires more than five to seven years of experience in the field. The average salary for a lead hr consultant is $114,423 annually.
Organisational Development Manager
Organizational development managers are given related job titles, such as HR director or manager who plans, develops, implements, and administers training programs and development for company workers. In addition, they act as an advisor and liaisons to the organization’s leadership and encourage initiatives across the organization.
Organizational development managers develop and design HR training sessions for management and employees, as well as review evaluations of training courses, objectives, accomplishments, and employee relations. In addition, they train employees on HR practices and issues while consulting with management on organizational, performance, and leadership matters. The total average compensation for an organizational development manager is $127,309 annually.
If you are passionate about adding more to your resume to get the HR consulting salary you want, check out our HR Certifications course.
Top Paying Cities for HR Consultants
As per Indeed, the cities with the top-paying HR consulting positions, categorized by location in the US, are given below.
New York, NY
$91,349 per year
Philadelphia, PA
$83,221 per year
Atlanta, GA
$82,898 per year
Dallas, TX
$82,164 per year
Education Level for HR Consulting Role
An HR consultant must have a firm knowledge base and excellent communication skills. While individuals can build these abilities professionally, academic programs and certifications can help streamline the process. Additionally, they would be helpful for the HR consultant to receive better pay.
A Bachelor’s degree in the related field helps add credibility to the individual’s knowledge for an HR consulting role. For example, an HR consultant needs to have a degree in human resources management or business administration. A Master’s coupled with a solid portfolio can help one directly get a senior human resources consultant with an impressive total compensation.
The right certifications significantly uplift an HR consultant’s resume. Some prominent ones are mentioned below:
- HR University: They offer a top-quality HR consulting certification that helps you boost your recruiting, hiring, training and development, and benefits administration for a great consulting career.
- University of Washington: The university offers a professional human resources management certification.
- Cornell University: The university offers a digital course on human resources consulting.
HR Consulting Salary Across Top Companies
As per Glassdoor, here are the annual average human resources consulting salaries in some of the top firms across different industries.
- The Proven Method: $128,816
- Futurewave Systems: $110,000
- PwC: $88,751
- Nityo Infotech: $88,466
- OneDigital: $86,317
Ending Note
The HR consultant’s salary primarily depends on the organization, industry, and job title. However, your people skills, background, and experience are equally important.
In any case, you must focus on developing an excellent portfolio to negotiate for a better salary.
Becoming an excellent HR consultant requires time, effort, and constant reading. Additionally, it’s best to keep up to date with your industry’s latest technology news and updates.
If you are new to Human Resources Consulting, we recommend taking our HR University Human Resources courses. You will learn the fundamentals of being an HR consultant, how to dominate consulting interviews, and how to stand out as an HR consulting candidate.
