Salary guide, May 2025

Plant HR Manager pay, United States

Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.

This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.

The median annual wage for Human Resources Managers in the United States was $149,280 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $111,110 and $199,290.

Broader occupation · SOC 11-3121 Human Resources Managers

This is a broader cross-industry occupation, not a title-specific salary.

Human Resources Managers in U.S.: median $149,280; published 25th to 75th percentile $111,110 to $199,290.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$88,200	$111,110	$149,280	$199,290	$267,810

Human Resources Managers in U.S.: median $71.77; published 25th to 75th percentile $53.42 to $95.81.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$42.40	$53.42	$71.77	$95.81	$128.76

BLS estimated 220,660 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-3121 Human Resources Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

How does pay compare in the target metros?

Plant HR Manager pay in target metros (May 2025)
Metro	Median	25th to 75th	Employment	Location quotient
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$142,940	$106,020 to $174,690	3,550	0.89
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$140,400	$104,560 to $185,200	1,830	0.89
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$136,230	$102,060 to $183,130	1,530	0.76
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$144,190	$119,610 to $196,670	1,080	1.03
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$185,100	$142,490 to $242,400	18,480	1.37
Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$185,100	$142,490 to $242,400	18,480	1.37
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$140,890	$109,250 to $181,200	7,970	1.39
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$156,770	$121,230 to $200,710	10,810	1.69

Rank every metro for Plant HR Manager

What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?

Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.

Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (NAICS 316000)$192,660
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$191,620
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$174,740
Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$164,550
Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$164,370
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$152,570
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$151,190
Apparel Manufacturing (NAICS 315000)$150,360
Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$147,410
Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$143,560
Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$136,290
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$135,720
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$132,650
Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$130,010
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$127,760

Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.

Plant HR Manager (SOC 11-3121) by manufacturing industry, national, May 2025
NAICS / scope	Industry	Employment	25th	Median	75th
31-33 · sector	Manufacturing	20,320	$115,560	$145,680	$189,480
336000 · 3-digit	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	2,760	$123,540	$152,570	$193,350
334000 · 3-digit	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	2,750	$144,560	$191,620	$235,460
311000 · 3-digit	Food Manufacturing	2,460	$103,580	$130,010	$161,820
325000 · 3-digit	Chemical Manufacturing	2,060	$126,940	$164,550	$210,850
333000 · 3-digit	Machinery Manufacturing	1,910	$116,740	$143,560	$180,130
332000 · 3-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	1,670	$103,600	$127,760	$160,810
3330A1 · 4-digit	Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	1,440	$115,920	$142,700	$174,540
326000 · 3-digit	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	1,410	$98,140	$127,340	$163,160
334500 · 4-digit	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	1,250	$144,560	$186,440	$224,120
326100 · 4-digit	Plastics Product Manufacturing	1,220	$96,410	$126,180	$165,470
339000 · 3-digit	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	1,100	$130,020	$164,370	$203,600
336400 · 4-digit	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	1,060	$153,960	$188,140	$237,940
336300 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	1,030	$104,990	$130,790	$157,300
325400 · 4-digit	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	990	$137,510	$175,140	$223,950
334400 · 4-digit	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	860	$136,180	$184,730	$234,990
335000 · 3-digit	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	850	$114,450	$135,720	$180,030
3320A1 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	840	$109,090	$131,370	$169,060
322000 · 3-digit	Paper Manufacturing	710	$123,210	$147,410	$181,270
339100 · 4-digit	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	700	$132,090	$170,870	$214,390
3250A1 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)	670	$124,120	$159,570	$194,280
331000 · 3-digit	Primary Metal Manufacturing	580	$108,910	$136,290	$166,230
311900 · 4-digit	Other Food Manufacturing	550	$113,150	$136,440	$161,570
311600 · 4-digit	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	510	$94,010	$118,070	$147,980
3320A2 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)	510	$96,980	$121,880	$149,900
322200 · 4-digit	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	460	$121,630	$142,000	$190,040
312000 · 3-digit	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	430	$130,740	$151,190	$180,790
335900 · 4-digit	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	420	$117,930	$134,430	$183,060
312100 · 4-digit	Beverage Manufacturing	410	$132,050	$151,330	$182,630
3250A2 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)	400	$110,750	$144,760	$178,040
339900 · 4-digit	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	400	$123,500	$141,970	$180,260
311400 · 4-digit	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	380	$107,110	$131,840	$162,390
334100 · 4-digit	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	380	$161,630	$229,560	$290,020
327000 · 3-digit	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	360	$107,440	$132,650	$165,770
311800 · 4-digit	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	320	$103,580	$126,740	$166,560
337000 · 3-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	320	$101,490	$125,980	$162,130
3370A1 · 4-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)	300	$101,490	$124,360	$160,790
335300 · 4-digit	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	290	$109,980	$135,720	$179,790
311500 · 4-digit	Dairy Product Manufacturing	260	$106,020	$130,800	$177,530
336100 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	260	$128,430	$153,580	$175,420
323000 · 3-digit	Printing and Related Support Activities	250	$100,360	$124,290	$152,170
323100 · 4-digit	Printing and Related Support Activities	250	$100,360	$124,290	$152,170
322100 · 4-digit	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	240	$124,810	$153,380	$169,540
332700 · 4-digit	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	230	$104,010	$126,150	$151,560
324000 · 3-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	200	$133,640	$174,740	$210,740
324100 · 4-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	200	$133,640	$174,740	$210,740
326200 · 4-digit	Rubber Product Manufacturing	190	$111,050	$133,110	$160,230
336200 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	190	$110,590	$134,320	$158,880
321000 · 3-digit	Wood Product Manufacturing	180	$94,700	$122,160	$160,240
333300 · 4-digit	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	180	$116,690	$155,440	$206,740
334200 · 4-digit	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	170	$133,030	$177,770	$228,980
331500 · 4-digit	Foundries	160	$107,460	$134,750	$168,390
333500 · 4-digit	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	150	$110,270	$136,260	$187,560
311200 · 4-digit	Grain and Oilseed Milling	140	$125,710	$148,200	$181,900
333600 · 4-digit	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	140	$122,070	$152,380	$239,730
336600 · 4-digit	Ship and Boat Building	140	$121,170	$155,990	$172,110
331100 · 4-digit	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	130	$118,850	$138,880	$171,520
332720 · 5-digit	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	120	$104,090	$127,280	$152,150
311300 · 4-digit	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	110	$132,440	$141,190	$190,600
313000 · 3-digit	Textile Mills	110	$93,100	$115,810	$146,230
321900 · 4-digit	Other Wood Product Manufacturing	110	$93,100	$126,520	$167,000
332710 · 5-digit	Machine Shops	110	$104,010	$117,010	$151,550
315000 · 3-digit	Apparel Manufacturing	100	$110,520	$150,360	$185,400
331300 · 4-digit	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	100	$111,630	$133,320	$163,650
331400 · 4-digit	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	100	$124,860	$149,540	$173,590
311100 · 4-digit	Animal Food Manufacturing	90	$92,360	$112,690	$141,490
331200 · 4-digit	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	90	$94,880	$121,520	$148,120
332800 · 4-digit	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	90	$101,910	$126,600	$148,100
315200 · 4-digit	Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing	80	$119,950	$163,050	$185,420
314000 · 3-digit	Textile Product Mills	70	$105,760	$127,410	$150,870
335200 · 4-digit	Household Appliance Manufacturing	70	$119,690	$129,750	$171,540
313200 · 4-digit	Fabric Mills	60	$89,230	$109,990	$133,120
334300 · 4-digit	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	60	$164,110	$177,290	$281,530
335100 · 4-digit	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	60	$130,480	$154,240	$186,140
336900 · 4-digit	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	60	$121,710	$134,820	$158,010
313300 · 4-digit	Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills	40	$102,210	$135,140	$162,490
314900 · 4-digit	Other Textile Product Mills	40	$102,760	$129,470	$150,870
316000 · 3-digit	Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	40	$171,650	$192,660	$249,850
321200 · 4-digit	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	40	$100,950	$118,750	$140,920
314100 · 4-digit	Textile Furnishings Mills	30	$108,950	$127,410	$152,380
334600 · 4-digit	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	Not published by BLS	$174,230	$202,670	$203,070

What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?

For Plant HR Manager, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.

An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.

Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

Plant HR Manager in the United States, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$105,590	$140,030	$189,960
May 2025	$111,110	$149,280	$199,290

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.

What should you know about hiring and retention on the floor?

Production plants often hire in volume, with attendance problems and early turnover. A capable HR manager works with supervisors on onboarding, buddy systems, pay clarity and fair scheduling. We ask for what changed in a particular plant and how they measured it.

Candidates who talk about conversations with new hires, shift leaders and exit patterns usually moved the numbers more than those who cite a new recruiting vendor.

What should you know about questions?

Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.

What is the median pay for a Plant HR Manager?

What does the 10th percentile mean here?

10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $88,200. 90% earned less than $267,810.

Does this include overtime or bonuses?

Is this the pay for a Plant HR Manager at a plant?

This is a broader cross-industry occupation, not a title-specific salary. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimated 220,660 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

What should you know about related?

Underlying BLS figures for this role (JSON)

Reading this wage estimate

What does this data mean for your opening?

Plant HR Managers fall under SOC 11-3121, Human Resources Managers. For Plant HR Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $149,280; the May 2024 median is $140,030. Their arithmetic difference is $9,250. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.

The middle-band width is very substantial at $88,180. Manufacturing Headhunters observes that specific manufacturing segments offer higher pay, such as Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing ($229,560) and Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing ($192,660). For Plant HR Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.

Regional employment hubs pay above the national average. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area reports a median of $185,100, while the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, area reports $156,770. For Plant HR Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $149,280; the May 2024 median is $140,030. Their arithmetic difference is $9,250. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.

Recruiters must exercise caution when applying this SOC. It aggregates human resources managers across all industries, from retail to tech to heavy manufacturing. For Plant HR Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $111,110 to $199,290 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. A manager at a small facility will be significantly lower in the pay band than a lead manager at a massive complex facility.

Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?

Why is the middle-band width so exceptionally large at $88,180?

This role is extremely diverse, ranging from HR managers at small facilities to those leading entire organizational divisions. For Plant HR Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $111,110 to $199,290 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.

Is the $19,010 jump in Chicago indicative of an isolated local event?

It is a reflection of local market conditions specifically for HR leadership. For Plant HR Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $149,280; the May 2024 median is $140,030. Their arithmetic difference is $9,250. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.

Should I base my hiring budget on the national occupation median?

No, because the national median includes non-manufacturing sectors that may not align with your plant's specific needs. Referencing industry-specific manufacturing medians is more appropriate for site-level HR leadership.