As we come to the end of this tumultuous year, it might be a good time to ponder your worth as an HR manager. Today's Advisor gives you some statistics from BLS and BLR, to get you started.

The federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides a wealth of data on salaries for HR managers. Their figures are from 2007, the latest year for which they offer data. BLS finds a mean annual salary for HR managers of $99,810. Meanwhile, the 2008 figures from Compensation.BLR.com show a mean of $102,629. (That’s an encouraging increase, but the two figures are not directly comparable.)

The two sources also break the figures down into percentiles:

Annual Salary, HR Managers
Percentile              10%            25%            50%(Median)      75%
BLS (2007)           $54,250      $70,850      $92,710             $120,960
BLR (2008)           $55, 782     $72,851      $95,329             $124,377

BLS gives salary figures for the industries with the highest levels of employment for HR managers:

Industry with high number of HR managers   Annual mean wage
Management of Companies and Enterprises                    $114,610
Local Government                                                          $88,180
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals                            $94,410
State Government                                                          $74,530
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools                $87,290

And also the top-paying industries for HR managers:

Industry                                                                   Annual mean wage
Postal Service                                                                    $132,580
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing               $132,550
Internet Service Providers and Web Search Portals                $130,710
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting                                    $128,720
Software Publishers                                                            $128,070

Compensation.BLR.com will tell you what’s being paid right in your state for hundreds of jobs. Try it free and get a free special report.  Read more.

And the top-paying states for HR managers:

State                       Number HR managers     Annual mean wage
Delaware                           130                                $124,820
New Jersey                     2,330                                $123,230
District of Columbia            530                                $121,180
Massachusetts                 1,320                                $114,970
California                        8,150                                $114,280

The upshot? For a high-paying private sector job, look for a computer and peripheral manufacturing company in New Jersey!

Of course, your own compensation is just a small (but vital) part of your compensation challenges. You need new compensation policies. You need up-to-date competitive salary data.  You need job descriptions and training programs. And you need quick answers.

Many professionals we serve find their answers at Compensation.BLR.com, BLR’s comprehensive compensation website. Here are the services provided by this unique tool (you can see samples of many of the available services by clicking here.

—Localized Salary Finder. Based on reliable research among thousands of employers, here are pay scales (including 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles) for hundreds of commonly held jobs, from line worker to president of the company. The data are customized for your state and metro area, your industry, and your company size, so you pay what’s offered in your specific market, not nationally.

Try BLR’s all-in-one subscription website, Compensation.BLR.com, and get the free special report, Top 100 FLSA Overtime Q&As, no matter what you decide. Read more.

—Wage-Hour and Other Legal Advice. Plain-English explanations of wage-hour and other compensation and benefits-related law at both federal and state levels. State means the laws of your state because the site is customized to your use. (Other states can be added at a modest extra charge.)
—Job Descriptions. The service provides them by the hundreds, already written, legally reviewed, and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act’s mandate that essential job functions be separated from those less critical.  All descriptions carry employment grade levels to current norms—another huge time-saver.
—Salary and Benefits Surveys.  The service includes the results of three surveys a year, telling you what employers are paying, offering as benefits, and budgeting for merit increases. Results for exempts and nonexempts are reported separately.
—Performance Appraisal Wizard.  The difficult work of writing appraisals is nearly done before you start it with this prewritten format. Enter the job elements and performance ratings, and the system creates a fair, legal, ready-to-sign review.
—News and Best Practices Advice.  Hundreds of white papers and case studies, a weekly ezine, and comp and benefits news updated daily (as is the whole site).
—“Ask the Experts” Service.  E-mail a question to our editors and get a personalized response within 1 business day.

If we sound as if we’re high on the program, it’s because we are. For about $3 a working day, the help it offers to those with compensation responsibilities is enormous.

This one’s definitely worth a look, which you can get by clicking the links below.

Samples of Key Website Content

Get more information or start a free trial and get a free special report!