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H.R. Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do H.R.s expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for H.R.s in a startup is 124k per year, with a range from 60k to 238k. The salary range for H.R.s varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
123.7k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average H.R. salary is $123,667, which is 4.1% lower than the average startup salary of $129,000. H.R. salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$209,208/yr
Range $187k - $238k
Average
$123,667/yr
Range $102k - $135k
Below Average
$83,958/yr
Range $60k - $95k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a H.R. can get in Santa Monica, that is $160,000. This pay is 29.4% higher than the average H.R. salary in startups, which is $123,667. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Santa Monica (avg $160,000 per year), Austin (avg $125,000 per year), Minneapolis (avg $121,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Santa Monica
$160k
Austin
$125k
Minneapolis
$121k
Seattle
$105k
Boston
$102k
New York
$87k
Toronto
View SalariesSan Diego
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View SalariesDenver
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View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a H.R. can get in Cloud Security, that is $279,500. This pay is 9.7% higher than the average H.R. salary, which is $254,850. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Cloud Security (avg $279,500 per year), Internet Infrastructure (avg $279,500 per year), Content Delivery (avg $279,500 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a H.R. can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $90,000. This pay is 27.2% lower than the average H.R. salary, which is $123,667. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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Industries for H.R.
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