Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a human resources specialist make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

In the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metropolitan area, human resources specialists earned a median of $74,970 a year ($36.04 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,050 of these jobs there. That is 47% above the $51,160 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $48,630 and $109,840; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $58,630 in take-home pay.

Human resources specialist pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at a glance

Median salary

$74,970$36.04 per hour · $6,248 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$48,630$23.38/hr
25th percentile$59,230$28.48/hr
75th percentile$93,280$44.84/hr
90th percentile$109,840$52.81/hr
Jobs in this metro5,050Location quotient 1.05 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here47% aboveAll-jobs median $51,160
Against Wisconsin6% aboveStatewide median $70,540
Against the U.S.1% belowNational median $75,940

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Human resources specialist salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI after taxes

$74,970
$25,000$150,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$74,970
Net 78%
Fed 10%
WI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$58,630After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,886Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,255Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$7,663 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$2,942 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,735 / yr

Human resources specialists pay range in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What human resources specialists earned in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$23.38/hr$4,053$48,630$39,745
25th percentile$28.48/hr$4,936$59,230$47,740
MedianMedian$36.04/hr$6,248$74,970$58,630
75th percentile$44.84/hr$7,773$93,280$70,424
90th percentile$52.81/hr$9,153$109,840$81,091

Is $74,970 a good salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for human resources specialists next to both.

Median household income$78,218Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.93.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household95.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Human resources specialist pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for human resources specialists in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for human resources specialists in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area was $74,970 in May 2025, about $6,248 a month or $36.04 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $70,540, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for human resources specialists in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

The median hourly wage for human resources specialists in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI was $36.04 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $23.38 an hour and one in ten earned more than $52.81.

How many human resources specialists work in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

BLS estimated 5,050 jobs for human resources specialists in the metro in May 2025, or 6.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.05 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for human resources specialists in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

BLS wage estimates for human resources specialists in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI run from $48,630 at the 10th percentile to $59,230 at the 25th, $93,280 at the 75th, and $109,840 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do human resources specialists take home after taxes in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

On a median gross salary of $74,970, an estimated $58,630 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,255 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $16,340 (an effective rate of 21.8%).

How much do human resources specialists make per month in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

On the median annual salary of $74,970, gross monthly income is $6,248. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,886 per month (or $2,255 every two weeks).

Is $74,970 a good salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

At $74,970, the median salary for human resources specialists is 95.8% of the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI median household income ($78,218). It is 47% above the $51,160 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.9, so prices here run 3.1% below the U.S. average.