HR Coordinator Salary 2026 - Ranges, Raises & Offers

Overview

The short answer: the typical human resources coordinator salary in 2026 falls around the high-$50Ks. Most offers cluster between roughly $48,000 and $68,000 in base pay. Where you land in that range is driven by experience, location, industry, company size, and skills like HRIS/payroll or recruiting coordination.

This guide gives you data-backed ranges by experience and explains geographic differences through a cost-of-living lens. It also shows you how to convert hourly-to-annual pay cleanly. You’ll see how industry and company size move pay, which skills and certifications add premiums, and a simple negotiation playbook you can use today.

How much does a Human Resources Coordinator make?

Most HR Coordinators in the U.S. can expect base pay between about $48,000 and $68,000 in 2026, with a typical midpoint near $58,000. That excludes overtime, bonuses, and benefits. Pay varies widely by metro (high-cost hubs run 10–25% above national) and by experience and scope.

For context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2023 median wage of about $46,310 for Human Resources Assistants and $67,650 for Human Resources Specialists. These roles bracket coordinator responsibilities and help bound coordinator pay levels. See the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entries for HR Assistants and HR Specialists for definitions and duties.

Salary ranges by experience level

Experience changes your scope fast in this role, and your scope changes your pay. Early on, you’ll handle high-volume coordination and data accuracy. As you progress, you own systems, reporting, and projects that justify higher bands.

Entry (0–1 years): $44,000–$50,000 base. Focus: onboarding logistics, interview scheduling, data entry, first-line employee requests.
Mid (2–4 years): $51,000–$61,000 base. Focus: benefits and payroll coordination, HRIS transactions, compliance checklists, vendor coordination, recruiting support.
Advanced (5+ years): $62,000–$75,000 base. Focus: process ownership, reporting/analytics, audits, policy rollout support, cross-functional projects; often “Senior HR Coordinator.”

Expect the upper end at larger or high-margin employers or when your responsibilities encroach on HR Generalist territory. Demonstrable HRIS (e.g., Workday/ADP/UKG) proficiency, payroll cycles, and recruiting coordination are common inflection points that move you up a band.

Salary trends over time

Coordinator-aligned wages have trended upward since the pandemic. Hiring volumes rebounded, and administrative HR work became more systems-driven. In the broader occupations that bookend coordinators, BLS reported 2023 medians near $46,310 for HR Assistants and $67,650 for HR Specialists. Both are up from pre-2020 levels and reflect tighter labor markets and inflationary pressure.

From 2021–2024, many employers lifted annual merit budgets into the 3–4% range. Hot markets and hard-to-fill skills saw higher adjustments. Heading into 2026, plan on modest nominal increases, with real (inflation-adjusted) gains varying by region and sector. Internal equity reviews and growing pay-transparency practices also continue to shape offers and mid-year adjustments.

Pay by location (with cost-of-living adjustments)

Location remains the biggest lever after experience, but nominal pay alone can mislead. To compare offers fairly, normalize for local price levels using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). These measure how expensive goods and services are across states and metro areas.

Top states and cities for HR coordinator pay

High-paying states and metros typically include California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and the Washington, D.C. area. City hubs like the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Seattle, Boston, and D.C. regularly post higher nominal offers. Drivers include higher living costs, intense talent competition, and industry mix (tech, finance, professional services).

In fast-growing “tier-2” markets such as Austin and Denver, offers are often solid. They usually sit below the top-coast hubs in nominal terms.

Remote and hybrid pay considerations

Most employers with location-based pay aim offers at the employee’s home location or the nearest corporate band for that region. Some national firms use multi-tier “geo bands,” while others pay the same rate regardless of location. Remote roles may carry a modest premium when they widen the candidate pool for niche skills. Many companies still anchor to employee locale to manage equity.

Cost-of-living adjustment example

Suppose you’re offered $70,000 in the San Francisco metro. If that metro’s RPP is roughly 125 (25% above the national price level), the “real” or national-equivalent value is $70,000 ÷ 1.25 ≈ $56,000.

If Phoenix’s RPP is about 96, a Phoenix offer with similar purchasing power would be $56,000 × 0.96 ≈ $53,760. In short, a lower nominal salary in a lower-cost city can stretch further. Use BEA RPPs to make apples-to-apples comparisons.

Hourly, weekly, monthly, and annual conversions

Consistent conversions help you compare an hourly posting to a salaried offer. A common assumption is 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year (2,080 hours), excluding overtime.

Annual to hourly: Annual ÷ 2,080. Example: $58,000 → about $27.88 per hour.
Hourly to annual: Hourly × 2,080. Example: $28/hour → $58,240 per year.
Annual to monthly: Annual ÷ 12. Example: $58,000 → about $4,833 per month.
Annual to weekly: Annual ÷ 52. Example: $58,000 → about $1,115 per week.

If you’re non-exempt and eligible for overtime, your effective annual can be higher in busy seasons. See the U.S. Department of Labor’s FLSA overtime rules. Conversely, unpaid time off or a shorter workweek changes the math. Align assumptions with the employer’s schedule and timekeeping policies.

Industry and company-size differences

Sector and size shape both scope and pay. Coordinators in tech, finance, life sciences, and professional services often manage more complex systems and reporting. Their base pay typically trends higher. Healthcare and manufacturing can also pay well where coordination touches regulated processes, scheduling, and compliance.

Company size can push compensation up as the role scales with headcount and systems complexity. Larger enterprises may pay more for specialized coordination (benefits, payroll, or HRIS). Small organizations often bundle broader tasks into a single coordinator role but sometimes with leaner budgets. Your toolkit breadth and the sophistication of the HR stack often justify a premium.

Total compensation: bonuses and common benefits

Base isn’t the whole story—HR coordinator total compensation frequently includes bonus potential, health insurance contributions, retirement match, and paid time off. Weigh these in dollars so you can compare offers fairly.

What to value: annual bonus or sign-on; PTO days (and whether they’re paid out); health, dental, vision premiums and employer share; 401(k)/403(b) match; HSA/FSA contributions; commuter or cell stipends; professional development; overtime eligibility; and paid holidays.

Once you’ve priced benefits, add them to base to estimate total compensation and compare apples-to-apples. For many coordinators, a modest bonus (for example, 2–8% in corporate settings), a 3–5% 401(k) match, and strong health contributions can move a “lower” base into a top-tier total package.

Skills and certifications that increase pay

Skill depth and proof of mastery move coordinator pay. Systems fluency, payroll cycles, and recruiting operations are the most commonly rewarded capabilities at this level.

Skills with observed premiums: HRIS proficiency (Workday/ADP/UKG), payroll coordination, benefits administration, ATS/recruiting coordination, employee data auditing and reporting/Excel, leave administration, bilingual support (e.g., Spanish), and compliance workflows; recognized credentials like SHRM-CP or PHR can also influence compensation.

Package these as outcomes—reduced time-to-hire, error-free payroll closes, or audit-ready data—to justify a higher tier. If you pursue certification, the SHRM-CP and HRCI’s PHR are widely recognized by employers. They are often used as signals for increased responsibility.

Career paths and related roles

Common next steps are Senior HR Coordinator and HR Generalist. Branches include HRIS Analyst, Payroll/Benefits Specialist, or Talent Acquisition Coordinator/Recruiter. As scope shifts from coordination to ownership—policies, analytics, or stakeholder consulting—pay typically rises.

The HR Generalist path usually commands 10–25% higher base than a coordinator. That premium comes from broader advisory responsibilities and decision-making. If you enjoy systems, the HRIS route can also out-earn coordinator roles. This is especially true in Workday- or SAP-heavy environments where data quality and reporting are core to the business.

Negotiation playbook for HR Coordinators

A crisp, data-first approach works best for coordinator negotiations. Do the math, tie it to your impact, and time the conversation near the offer stage when intent is highest.

Set your target: pick a number at or slightly above the 60th–70th percentile for your location and experience.
Prepare evidence: recent local ranges, your skill premiums (HRIS/payroll/recruiting), and 2–3 quantified wins.
Time it right: ask about range early, negotiate base after you’re the finalist, then trade to bonus, sign-on, or development budget if base is capped.
Use cost-of-living logic if relocating: cite BEA RPP or local price levels to normalize offers.
Ask for the full picture: base, bonus, overtime eligibility, benefits contributions, and any geo-pay policy.

Template email snippet you can adapt: “Thanks again for the offer. Based on market data for HR Coordinator roles in [city] and my experience owning [HRIS/payroll/recruiting] processes, I’m targeting $62,000–$65,000 in base to reflect the scope outlined. If we can align on $64,000, I’m ready to sign this week. If base is constrained, I’d welcome a discussion of a sign-on bonus or professional development budget to bridge the gap.”

Methodology and trustworthy sources

We map “HR Coordinator” to adjacent official occupations to set credible bounds and then triangulate using market data. Specifically, coordinators overlap duties with HR Assistants (O*NET 43-4161.00) and HR Specialists (BLS OOH — Human Resources Specialists). We benchmark against the latest BLS wage data (OEWS/OOH) and then align coordinator pay between those roles, layered with current postings and employer ranges.

To compare locations, we normalize nominal salaries using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. These measure relative price levels across states and metro areas. We show conversions using standard work-year assumptions (2,080 hours) and call out whether pay is location-based for remote roles.

Data sources and references:

BLS OEWS program (occupational wage estimates, updated annually): https://www.bls.gov/oes/
BLS OOH — HR Specialists: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/human-resources-specialists.htm
BLS OOH — HR Assistants: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/human-resources-assistants.htm
O*NET HR Assistants (43-4161.00): https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4161.00
BEA Regional Price Parities (state and metro): https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area
U.S. DOL — FLSA overtime rules: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime
SHRM Certification overview (SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP): https://www.shrm.org/certification/
HRCI PHR certification overview: https://www.hrci.org/our-programs/our-certifications/phr

Update cadence: we review ranges quarterly and refresh links and examples when BLS/BEA publish new releases.

Limitations: titles vary; company leveling differs; posted ranges can exclude bonus/OT; and fast-moving local markets may shift between updates.

FAQs

Below are concise answers to the most common questions about HR coordinator pay, tuned for quick decisions.

How do I adjust an HR coordinator offer for cost of living to compare two cities fairly? Divide the offer by the origin city’s RPP (as a decimal) to get national-equivalent pay, then multiply by the target city’s RPP; use BEA RPP data for accurate indices.
Which official occupation codes cover HR coordinator duties for salary data purposes? Coordinators align most closely with HR Assistants (O*NET 43-4161.00) and HR Specialists (BLS 13-1071) for bounding pay and responsibilities.
What salary ranges should I expect at 0–1, 2–4, and 5+ years as an HR coordinator? Roughly $44K–$50K (entry), $51K–$61K (mid), and $62K–$75K (advanced), varying by location and scope.
Do remote HR coordinator roles pay based on employee or employer location? Many firms pay based on the employee’s location using geo bands, but policies vary; confirm which location anchors your offer.
How much more do coordinators earn with HRIS/payroll system expertise (e.g., Workday, ADP)? Demonstrable HRIS/payroll ownership can add a 5–10% premium in many markets due to higher impact and fewer errors.
What’s the typical pay difference between HR coordinator and HR generalist roles? Generalists commonly earn 10–25% more because they own broader advisory and policy responsibilities.
How do industry and company size affect HR coordinator compensation? Tech, finance, and life sciences and larger enterprises tend to pay more, especially where the role manages complex systems and reporting.
What benefits and bonuses are most common for HR coordinators and how should I value them? Look at bonus/sign-on, PTO, health premiums, 401(k) match, and professional development; convert each to dollars and add to base for total compensation.
What’s a simple email template to negotiate an HR coordinator offer using market data? “Based on local ranges and my [HRIS/payroll/recruiting] experience, I’m targeting [$X–$Y] to reflect the scope; if we can align at [$Z], I can sign this week.”
How have coordinator-aligned salaries trended over the last few years and what drove the changes? Upward overall, influenced by tight labor markets, inflation, and growing HR tech complexity; see BLS OOH/OEWS series for related roles.
Which certifications (SHRM-CP, PHR) most reliably correlate with higher HR coordinator pay? SHRM-CP and PHR are widely recognized signals that can support higher offers when tied to measurable outcomes.
What’s the difference between nominal pay and real (cost-of-living adjusted) pay for HR coordinators? Nominal is the dollar amount on your offer; real pay adjusts for local prices (RPP) to show purchasing power across locations.

Use these quick answers as a starting point, then apply the location and skills lenses above to tailor your target number.