The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has issued its summary of pay for common HR positions by company size. Because the vast majority of HR That Works member companies have fewer than 1,000 employees, I can tell you that the average full-time HR executive at these businesses make between $74,500 and $131,300. Approximately two-thirds of them are eligible for long-term incentives, and 95% of them for short-term incentives. These incentives should increase their payout by about one-third. Here’s the point: Many small and medium-sized companies pay their HR managers well. In case you’re curious, the top-end compensation for HR executives at companies with 10,000 or more employees averages $450,000, with additional incentive payouts of approximately 50%! For those who take HR seriously — there’s good money in HR!
