One of Maine’s biggest concerns is its aging workforce, yet for human resources professionals, retiring Baby Boomers translate into exceptional professional opportunities. As older employees retire, a new generation of workers will take their place, and the demand for human resources professionals who can manage the challenges associated with these changing workplace environments will be greater than ever.
It’s no wonder human resources specialists, training and development specialists, and human resources managers all made the Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information’s list of high-wage, in-demand jobs in 2019.
Human Resources Management Salaries in Maine
With mid-level salaries among human resources management professionals nearing $100,000 across the board, now is the time to consider entering or advancing in the dynamic human resources field in Maine. For example, compensation and benefits managers here earn a median salary of $97,490, human resources managers earn a median salary of $97,360, and training and development managers earn a median salary of $96,670.
A closer look into what these professionals earn in Maine’s largest metro areas of Portland and Lewiston is provided in the following tables:
Portland
Human resources management professionals in Portland enjoy average salaries that top $100,000. For example, HR managers here earn a median salary of $105,340, surpassing the state average of $97,360.
Lewiston
Human resources managers in the Lewiston metro area earn a median salary of $96,730, which is just below the state average of $97,490 for these professionals.
Human Resources Specialist and Assistant Salaries in Maine
Some of the strongest job growth projections are among Maine’s HR assistant and specialist professions. For example, between 2016 and 2026, the number of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists in Maine is projected to increase by 8.6 percent, while the number of training and development specialists during this time is projected to increase by 8.2 percent.
The following tables provide a closer look at what HR specialists and assistants earn in Maine’s two largest metro areas of Portland and Lewiston:
Portland
The top earners among the Portland metro area are labor relations specialists, who earn a median salary of $84,030 – that’s about $5,000 more than the state average for these professionals.
Lewiston
Lewiston’s human resources specialists earn a median salary of $52,760, which is about $4,000 less than the state average and about $7,000 less than their counterparts in the Portland metro area.
Salary and employment data compiled by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in May of 2018 for human resources managers, specialists, and assistants – https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_me.htm#11-9111. The BLS salary data shown here represents median – 90th percentile salary ranges for the state and its MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries.
Job growth projections sourced from the Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2016-2026) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and job growth data accessed in September 2019.