SOC 13-1071 · Appleton, WI metro

Human Resources Specialists Salary in Appleton, WI

The average salary for human resources specialists in Appleton, Wisconsin is $70,730 a year ($34.00 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $63,650: half of the 720 people in this job in the Appleton, WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($81,990).

$70,730average per year

$34.00 / hourMedian $63,650Take-home ≈ $55,898

  • $48K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

720people in this job
-14%vs U.S. average
#13 of 13Wisconsin metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Human Resources Specialists pay range in Appleton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,190 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,280 or more. The middle half of human resources specialists in Appleton earn between $56,860 and $80,260.

  • $48K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$70,730$5,894$34.00
Median$63,650$5,304$30.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$56,860$4,738$27.34
Experienced (75th percentile)$80,260$6,688$38.59

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Human Resources Specialists pay in Appleton vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.

Human resources specialists in Appleton earn 5% less than the Wisconsin average ($74,310) and 14% less than the U.S. average ($81,990). At the median the gap is -16% against the U.S. median of $75,940.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Appleton$70,730$63,650$48,190$100,280720
Wisconsin$74,310$70,540$47,860$105,27017,360
United States$81,990$75,940$47,180$128,720912,430

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Human Resources Specialists salary after taxes in Appleton

On the average salary of $70,730, a single filer in Appleton takes home about $55,898 a year, or $4,658 a month and $2,150 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Wisconsin paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Appleton a good place for human resources specialists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Appleton area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4), so the average $70,730 buys what about $76,532 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Appleton ($49,910). A typical home costs $350,370, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $70,730 is worth in another city

Human Resources Specialists salary in other Wisconsin cities

Appleton ranks 13th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($78,550).

All Human Resources Specialists salaries in Wisconsin

Highest-paying cities for human resources specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($122,290).

Human Resources Specialists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Human Resources Specialists in Appleton, WI.

Human Resources Specialists salary in Appleton: questions

How much do human resources specialists make an hour in Appleton?

$34.00 an hour on average, and $30.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level human resources specialists salary in Appleton?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,190 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,860, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the human resources specialists take-home pay in Appleton?

About $55,898 a year ($4,658 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,730.

Do human resources specialists earn more in Appleton than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($81,990).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 13-1071; area Appleton, WI (11540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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