HR Business Partner Salary Guide 2026
Scaling tech startups driving HR strategic needs.
National Median: $134,000
Range: $112K – $424K
Avg Total Comp
$190,000
Experience Level
Median salary at $141k in Austin; max range reflects VP-level total comp.
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Transition Opportunity
Generalist salaries for HR Business Partner are stagnating as the market shifts toward specialized AI execution. Join The Foundry to pivot your career into high-growth technical tracks.
Metro Area Breakdown
20 MarketsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA
CalculatedMedian: $180,900
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley CA
CalculatedMedian: $178,220
New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ-PA
CalculatedMedian: $166,160
Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH
CalculatedMedian: $163,480
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA
CalculatedMedian: $160,800
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV
CalculatedMedian: $160,800
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA
CalculatedMedian: $160,800
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA
CalculatedMedian: $154,100
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN-WI
CalculatedMedian: $147,400
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CO
CalculatedMedian: $144,720
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown TX
Median: $141,000
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX
CalculatedMedian: $140,700
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta GA
CalculatedMedian: $138,020
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach FL
CalculatedMedian: $136,680
Raleigh-Durham-Cary NC
CalculatedMedian: $134,000
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI
CalculatedMedian: $131,320
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC
CalculatedMedian: $131,320
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ
CalculatedMedian: $129,980
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MI
CalculatedMedian: $128,640
Salt Lake City UT
CalculatedMedian: $127,300
Benchmarks marked "Calculated" are derived from the national median using verified geographic cost-of-living multipliers. Direct survey data is used where available.