How much does a People Operations make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a People Operations in the United States is $80,928 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a People Operations's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $92,752
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70,652 to $87,117
Key Factors That Influence People Operations Salaries
A People Operations's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects People Operations Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a People Operations's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do People Operations Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract People Operations. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $102,075
San Francisco: $100,957
Oakland: $98,830
San Jose, CA$102,075
San Francisco, CA$100,957
Oakland, CA$98,830
New York, NY$93,180
Paramus, NJ$92,047
Queens Village, NY$92,043
Passaic, NJ$91,966
Bergenfield, NJ$91,959
Stamford, CT$91,781
Huntington, NY$91,748
Newark, NJ$91,150
Bridgeport, CT$90,979
Vallejo, CA$90,818
New Brunswick, NJ$90,785
Petaluma, CA$90,737
Middlesex, NJ$90,583
Somerset, NJ$90,527
Santa Cruz, CA$90,421
Boston, MA$89,928
Monterey, CA$89,644
Seattle, WA$89,458
Santa Rosa, CA$89,442
Los Angeles, CA$89,418
Juneau, AK$89,207
Washington, DC$89,118
Orange, CA$88,830
Santa Ana, CA$88,617
Long Beach, CA$88,536
Anaheim, CA$88,519
Anchorage, AK$88,479
Santa Maria, CA$88,236
Everett, WA$88,220
Danbury, CT$87,935
Bremerton, WA$87,823
Tacoma, WA$87,532
New Suffolk, NY$87,531
Sacramento, CA$87,508
Santa Barbara, CA$87,419
Trenton, NJ$87,330
San Diego, CA$87,330
Brockton, MA$87,241
Fairbanks, AK$87,043
Lompoc, CA$86,836
Lowell, MA$86,771
Ventura, CA$86,755
Nashua, NH$86,739
Stockton, CA$86,731
Modesto, CA$86,140
Poughkeepsie, NY$85,962
Olympia, WA$85,808
Kennewick, WA$85,808
New Haven, CT$85,776
Lawrence, MA$85,485
Hartford, CT$85,404
Riverside, CA$85,388
New Bedford, MA$85,307
Richland, WA$85,307
Bakersfield, CA$85,193
San Bernardino, CA$85,161
New Britain, CT$85,153
Atlantic City, NJ$85,153
New London, CT$85,120
Norwich, CT$85,096
Portsmouth, NH$85,080
Boulder, CO$84,908
Portland, OR$84,797
Worcester, MA$84,789
Minneapolis, MN$84,538
Philadelphia, PA$84,425
Honolulu, HI$84,157
Saint Paul, MN$84,119
Vineland, NJ$84,101
Providence, RI$83,866
Chicago, IL$83,631
Bellingham, WA$83,534
Springfield, MA$83,470
Baltimore, MD$83,445
Chico, CA$83,243
Pittsfield, MA$83,024
Manchester, NH$82,871
Spokane, WA$82,515
Denver, CO$82,507
Albany, NY$82,126
Troy, NY$82,094
Nassau, NY$82,007
Schenectady, NY$81,924
Wilmington, DE$81,859
Burlington, VT$81,746
Salem, OR$81,713
Portland, ME$81,463
Yakima, WA$81,382
Rochester, MN$81,131
Reno, NV$81,090
Fresno, CA$81,090
Milwaukee, WI$81,017
Detroit, MI$80,936
Ann Arbor, MI$80,923
Allentown, PA$80,912
Colorado Springs, CO$80,775
Syracuse, NY$80,734
Carson City, NV$80,734
Houston, TX$80,621
Eugene, OR$80,580
Gary, IN$80,483
Springfield, OR$80,419
Bismarck, ND$80,402
Galveston, TX$80,346
Medford, OR$80,224
Fort Collins, CO$80,192
Concord, NH$80,151
Austin, TX$80,127
Mesa, AZ$79,957
Reading, PA$79,949
Phoenix, AZ$79,941
Dallas, TX$79,917
Saint Cloud, MN$79,839
Madison, WI$79,731
Utica, NY$79,512
Rochester, NY$79,383
Des Moines, IA$79,375
Raleigh, NC$79,366
Atlanta, GA$79,245
Battle Creek, MI$79,221
Salt Lake City, UT$79,197
Lancaster, PA$79,075
Harrisburg, PA$78,962
Kansas City, MO$78,881
Champaign, IL$78,865
Kansas City, KS$78,865
Fort Worth, TX$78,857
Columbus, OH$78,843
Boca Raton, FL$78,824
Pittsburgh, PA$78,792
Richmond, VA$78,760
Indianapolis, IN$78,743
Cleveland, OH$78,735
Las Vegas, NV$78,638
Cincinnati, OH$78,638
Petersburg, VA$78,517
Huntsville, AL$78,395
Lansing, MI$78,341
Lebanon, PA$78,331
Pueblo, CO$78,323
Appleton, WI$78,298
Buffalo, NY$78,266
Dayton, OH$78,242
Racine, WI$78,225
Charlotte, NC$78,217
Saint Louis, MO$78,193
York, PA$78,144
Elkhart, IN$78,144
Gastonia, NC$78,129
Billings, MT$78,110
Beaumont, TX$78,088
Lorain, OH$78,072
Benton Harbor, MI$78,055
Toledo, OH$78,039
Binghamton, NY$77,999
Rock Hill, SC$77,991
Rockford, IL$77,950
Springfield, IL$77,918
Elyria, OH$77,910
Fargo, ND$77,910
Flagstaff, AZ$77,853
Fort Lauderdale, FL$77,805
Duluth, MN$77,756
Miami, FL$77,756
Cheyenne, WY$77,699
Grand Forks, ND$77,699
Bangor, ME$77,521
Cedar Rapids, IA$77,432
Durham, NC$77,398
Louisville, KY$77,392
Grand Rapids, MI$77,376
Hialeah, FL$77,368
Casper, WY$77,254
Scranton, PA$77,157
New Orleans, LA$77,133
Virginia Beach, VA$77,125
Akron, OH$77,084
Peoria, IL$76,979
Sarasota, FL$76,963
Nashville, TN$76,906
Omaha, NE$76,906
Green Bay, WI$76,906
Baton Rouge, LA$76,866
Charleston, SC$76,850
Jamestown, NY$76,809
Davenport, IA$76,809
Tucson, AZ$76,769
Saint Petersburg, FL$76,720
Tampa, FL$76,704
Evansville, IN$76,655
Port Arthur, TX$76,655
Bradenton, FL$76,623
Santa Fe, NM$76,477
Orlando, FL$76,332
Clearwater, FL$76,307
Canton, OH$76,137
La Crosse, WI$76,137
Albuquerque, NM$76,089
Newport News, VA$76,081
High Point, NC$76,057
Ogden, UT$76,024
Corpus Christi, TX$75,959
Norfolk, VA$75,911
Laramie, WY$75,911
Rock Island, IL$75,862
Saginaw, MI$75,846
Jacksonville, FL$75,838
Salisbury, NC$75,822
Boise, ID$75,806
Moline, IL$75,765
Fort Myers, FL$75,741
Memphis, TN$75,725
Tulsa, OK$75,684
Waterloo, IA$75,636
Spartanburg, SC$75,555
Lincoln, NE$75,514
Fort Wayne, IN$75,498
Provo, UT$75,490
Cedar Falls, IA$75,393
San Antonio, TX$75,361
Greensboro, NC$75,328
South Bend, IN$75,320
Savannah, GA$75,231
Muskegon, MI$75,199
Birmingham, AL$75,191
Winston Salem, NC$75,151
Lake Charles, LA$74,956
Anderson, IN$74,940
Lexington, KY$74,915
Augusta, GA$74,891
Greenville, SC$74,891
Lima, OH$74,826
Wichita, KS$74,818
Tuscaloosa, AL$74,818
Columbia, SC$74,745
Springfield, OH$74,729
Asheville, NC$74,600
Bloomington, IN$74,543
Knoxville, TN$74,252
Shreveport, LA$74,244
Wilmington, NC$74,139
Roanoke, VA$74,139
Topeka, KS$73,993
Frankfort, KY$73,984
Oklahoma City, OK$73,928
Chillicothe, OH$73,896
Longview, TX$73,888
Melbourne, FL$73,880
Sioux Falls, SD$73,750
Mobile, AL$73,742
Terre Haute, IN$73,710
Altoona, PA$73,661
Amarillo, TX$73,604
Killeen, TX$73,580
Fayetteville, AR$73,515
Chattanooga, TN$73,491
Sioux City, IA$73,418
Idaho Falls, ID$73,402
Lynchburg, VA$73,337
Gainesville, FL$73,232
Portsmouth, OH$73,192
Little Rock, AR$73,175
Lafayette, LA$73,143
Youngstown, OH$73,143
Daytona Beach, FL$73,095
Clarksville, TN$73,086
Pensacola, FL$73,078
Temple, TX$73,073
Hopkinsville, KY$72,836
Erie, PA$72,819
Florence, SC$72,787
Charleston, WV$72,658
Great Falls, MT$72,617
Macon, GA$72,504
Tallahassee, FL$72,496
Fayetteville, NC$72,479
Waco, TX$72,463
Helena, MT$72,407
Pine Bluff, AR$72,376
Vincennes, IN$72,277
Lubbock, TX$72,245
Alamogordo, NM$72,196
Twin Falls, ID$72,123
Rapid City, SD$72,099
Jackson, MS$71,953
Huntington, WV$71,948
Greenville, MS$71,945
Parkersburg, WV$71,863
Montgomery, AL$71,848
Wichita Falls, TX$71,767
Springfield, MO$71,767
Biloxi, MS$71,727
Monroe, LA$71,646
Johnstown, PA$71,589
Sumter, SC$71,557
Columbus, GA$71,549
Pascagoula, MS$71,395
Abilene, TX$71,395
Kingsport, TN$71,185
Albany, GA$71,185
Gulfport, MS$71,160
Alexandria, LA$70,893
Fort Smith, AR$70,691
El Paso, TX$70,472
Las Cruces, NM$70,108
Harlingen, TX$69,903
Pocatello, ID$69,890
Florence, AL$69,785
Brownsville, TX$69,768
Mcallen, TX$69,598
Dothan, AL$69,485
Columbus, MS$69,004
Altus, OK$68,627
Lawton, OK$68,474
Pierre, SD$68,182
What Skills Can Increase a People Operations's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Initiative (Mentioned in 3.72% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
Food Safety (Mentioned in 2.45% Job Postings): Applying procedures during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution to ensure consumers are safe from foodborne illnesses.
Labor Relations (Mentioned in 1.1% Job Postings): Is the term used to define the process between employers and employees, management and unions in order to make decisions in organizations. The decisions taken refer to wages, working conditions, hours of work, and safety at work, security and grievances.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a People Operations's salary.
Organizational Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Labor Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Analytical Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
People Operations Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For People Operations roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Software & Networking
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, People Operations positions in Transportation or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view People Operations as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a People Operations
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$101,160
$49.0
25%
Software & Networking
$98,733
$47.0
22%
Aerospace & Defense
$93,068
$45.0
15%
Internet
$93,068
$45.0
15%
Energy & Utilities
$89,021
$43.0
10%
How Education impacts a People Operations's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many People Operations enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a People Operations with a Associate's Degree is between
$78,595
and $83,437).
People Operations Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a People Operations's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a People Operations can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $70,763 in 2023
to around $70,613 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of People Operations salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of People Operations Over Time
$???
$70,763
$70,797
$70,613
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$70,763
2024
$70,797
2025
$70,613
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for People Operations
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for People Operations
Here are companies hiring for People Operations and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next People Operations Job
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FAQ about People Operations
1. What industry pays the highest salary for People Operations?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for People Operations roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
