In San Francisco, CA, human resources managers earn a median of $209,340 a year, according to the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. It runs 60% above the national median of $130,585 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $160,250 and $282,700 — a 122,450 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The average (mean) of $219,270 comes in higher than the median, which usually means a share of high earners is pulling the average up. The catch: San Francisco is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $100.65, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for human resources managers across all U.S. metros in our data is $130,585.