Human Resources Jobs in New York, NY
Human resources specialists in New York City earn a median of about $90,000 a year, and recruiters, HR business partners and payroll teams are hiring from the MTA at 2 Broadway to the banks on Park Avenue. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to break in.
Current human resources Openings in New York, NY
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Human Resources Work in New York
HR jobs in New York follow the big employers. Banks and media companies in Midtown hire HR business partners, compensation analysts and recruiters, with JPMorganChase's HR teams at 277 Park Ave. The MTA runs recruiting and talent acquisition out of 2 Broadway and 420 Lexington Ave, and city offices such as the Bronx District Attorney on the Grand Concourse hire HR staff under civil service titles like Staff Analyst. Justworks, a payroll and HR company based in Lower Manhattan, and tech firms like SeatGeek and FanDuel add recruiting and HR technology roles.
What makes HR here different is the city's own employment law. NYC employers must post a pay range in every job ad, follow the Fair Chance Act on criminal history, track Earned Safe and Sick Time, and audit any AI hiring tool under Local Law 144.
Top New York Employers Hiring HR Professionals
These employers had human resources openings in New York City on their own career sites this month:
- MTA - the transit authority hires senior recruiters, talent acquisition specialists and coordinators at 2 Broadway and for the MTA Police.
- JPMorganChase - the bank hires HR business advisors and compensation staff in Midtown.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering - the cancer center hires HR business partners for its Manhattan workforce.
- The New York Times - the media company hires total rewards analysts, HR business partners and recruiters.
- Justworks - the payroll and HR platform hires talent management and payroll tax staff at its New York headquarters.
- Bronx District Attorney - the prosecutor's office hires HR recruitment coordinators at 851 Grand Concourse.
Human Resources Salaries in New York
- Entry level: about $47,000 to $65,000 a year for HR assistants and coordinators.
- Experienced: roughly $70,000 to $124,000 for HR specialists, generalists and recruiters, with MTA recruiter postings at $70,285 to $97,200.
- Senior: $124,000 to $185,000 and up for HR business partners and managers, with bank and media postings reaching $175,000 to $210,000.
These are estimates built from federal 2025 wage data for the New York metro and current employer postings. Finance and tech pay the most, city agencies post lower ranges, and specialties such as compensation, HR technology and technical recruiting command a premium. HR managers in the metro earn a median of about $185,000.
How to Become an HR Professional in New York
New York does not license HR professionals. Most employers want a bachelor's degree, and many prefer a certification: the SHRM-CP from the Society for Human Resource Management has no experience requirement, while HRCI's PHR needs one to four years of professional HR work depending on your degree. City HR jobs are filled through civil service titles such as Staff Analyst and Associate Staff Analyst, which require a DCAS exam.
Local programs include the MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Baruch College's Weissman School, 55 Lexington Ave at 24th St; the master's in human capital management at NYU School of Professional Studies; and certificate workshops at Cornell ILR's conference center at 570 Lexington Ave. NYC SHRM, chartered as SHRM Chapter 0001 in 1948, runs networking and education for local HR staff.
What the Job Involves
HR staff recruit and screen candidates, run onboarding, answer benefits and leave questions, keep employee records in an HR system, and handle workplace complaints and investigations. Generalists cover all of it; specialists focus on recruiting, payroll, compensation or employee relations. Much of the day is spent on calls and meetings with managers and employees.
Skills Employers Look For
- Knowledge of New York State and NYC employment law
- Recruiting and interviewing
- HR systems such as Workday or ADP
- Confidentiality and sound judgment
- Excel and HR reporting
- Clear, calm communication
- SHRM or HRCI certification
Career Path and Advancement
Many New York HR careers start as an HR assistant, coordinator or recruiting coordinator, then move to generalist or recruiter within two or three years. From there the path splits into HR business partner, talent acquisition lead, compensation and benefits, or HR technology, and then to HR manager and director. In city government, Staff Analyst leads to Associate Staff Analyst and on to HR leadership.
Related Careers in New York
If human resources interests you, these related New York roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license or certification to work in HR in New York?
No license is required in New York. Certification is optional but common: the SHRM-CP has no experience requirement, and the PHR from HRCI needs one to four years of professional HR experience depending on your education.
How much do HR jobs pay in New York City?
HR assistants earn a metro median of about $57,000 a year, HR specialists about $90,000, and HR managers about $185,000. Current postings in the city run from about $46,000 for clerical HR roles to over $200,000 for senior bank HR advisors.
What NYC laws should HR professionals know?
The big ones are the pay transparency law, which requires a good faith salary range in job ads, the Fair Chance Act on criminal history questions, the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, and Local Law 144 on automated hiring tools. The NYC Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection enforce them.
How do you get an HR job with the City of New York?
Many city HR roles use civil service titles such as Staff Analyst or Associate Staff Analyst. Watch the DCAS exam schedule, take the exam when it opens, and apply to agency postings on the city's jobs site while you wait for your list number.
What is the best entry-level HR job in New York?
HR assistant, HR coordinator and recruiting coordinator roles are the usual starting points. Large employers such as the MTA hire talent acquisition coordinators, and tech firms such as SeatGeek, FanDuel and Datadog hire recruiting and HR technology staff.
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