HR Specialist salary in Boston, MA

Based on 35 certified H-1B filings in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Canton, Somerville, Arlington.

Also listed as: Recruiter

Median salary$78,000
Middle 50%$64.3k–$100k
vs. national median−3%comparison median $80,000
Filings35FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $52,478 and $189,900.
PercentileSalary
10th$55,541
25th$64,262
50th (median)$78,000
75th$100,003
90th$119,200

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $80k $110k FY2020: median $63,742 (22 filings) FY2021: median $70,942 (18 filings) FY2022: median $76,544 (17 filings) FY2023: median $80,134 (14 filings) FY2024: median $74,000 (13 filings) FY2025: median $69,500 (21 filings) FY2026: median $103,241 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 22 filings FY20 FY2021: 18 filings FY21 FY2022: 17 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 13 filings FY24 FY2025: 21 filings FY25 FY2026: 14 filings FY26 22
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$63,742$55,000$77,20422
FY2021$70,942$64,100$89,37518
FY2022$76,544$64,147$93,78717
FY2023$80,134$62,500$98,96714
FY2024$74,000$65,187$90,00013
FY2025$69,500$60,000$90,00021
FY2026$103,241$78,500$120,25014

Cost of living

Boston's median HR Specialist salary of $78,000 is worth about $72,000 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Human Resources Specialists in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $90,270 in May 2025 (21,770 employed). The H-1B median here is $78,000, 14% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Bath Knottoo few2
Boston Consulting Grouptoo few2
eteraflexconnectstoo few2
Ionic Partnerstoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $58,344 12
Mid-level · Level II $75,712 11
Senior · Level III too few 4
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$52,478$58,34412
Mid-level · Level II$69,493$75,71211

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.