MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a master's degree in Human Resources Management and Services worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 178 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$81,091 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$81,091Median year-4 earnings
$21,809Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$81,091Typical earnings four years after completion
$80,565Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
55thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
8Degrees awarded in 2024–25
178College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 10 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Human Resources Management and Services
How much do Human Resources Management and Services master's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $81,091 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Human Resources Management and Services?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $69,013 to $97,819 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Human Resources Management and Services?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $65,674
- Federal debt
- $18,202
- Programs in the comparison
- 21
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,118
- Federal debt
- $26,536
- Programs in the comparison
- 35
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $67,012
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 209
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,454
- Federal debt
- $20,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $81,091
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 178
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $119,182
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $66,776
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 22
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,962
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$69,013National median$81,09175th percentile$97,819
178 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$138,852Observed year-4 earnings$105,512
Cornell University$28,690 price · $155,909 earningsUniversity of San Francisco$41,431 price · $153,058 earningsVanderbilt University$15,846 price · $138,852 earningsNorthern Kentucky University$8,191 price · $137,370 earningsUniversity of South Carolina-Columbia$22,811 price · $136,605 earningsSeton Hall University$31,446 price · $128,177 earningsMichigan State University$19,680 price · $127,481 earningsNew York University$37,050 price · $125,710 earningsPepperdine University$58,098 price · $123,307 earningsUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities$16,778 price · $121,475 earningsVillanova University$43,756 price · $121,007 earningsGeorge Washington University$36,586 price · $120,266 earningsUniversity of Connecticut$25,097 price · $117,844 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$10,875 price · $117,844 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Avery Point$13,807 price · $117,844 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Stamford$16,798 price · $117,844 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$16,403 price · $117,844 earningsUtah State University$14,936 price · $116,772 earningsUniversity of Southern California$32,740 price · $116,471 earningsMarymount University$29,137 price · $115,963 earningsCase Western Reserve University$41,190 price · $115,922 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $114,404 earningsTexas A&M University-College Station$21,315 price · $114,364 earningsGeorgetown University$40,815 price · $109,895 earningsSacred Heart University$46,174 price · $109,545 earningsCUNY Bernard M Baruch College$3,033 price · $108,119 earningsSaint Peter's University$12,199 price · $106,327 earningsWest Virginia University$15,634 price · $105,512 earningsPace University$30,892 price · $104,806 earnings
$8,191Annual college-wide average net price$43,756
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Cornell University$155,9092University of San Francisco$153,0583Vanderbilt University$138,8524Northern Kentucky University$137,3705University of South Carolina-Columbia$136,6056Seton Hall University$128,1777Michigan State University$127,4818New York University$125,7109Golden Gate University$123,77210Pepperdine University$123,307Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-8%Projected employment growth →13%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Human Resources Managers$149,280 median wage220,660 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 16,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$88,200–$267,810 typical wage rangeBusiness Teachers, Postsecondary$99,080 median wage82,150 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 7,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,180–$209,470 typical wage rangeHuman Resources Specialists$75,940 median wage912,430 jobs nationwide+6.4% projected growth through 2035 · 73,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$47,180–$128,720 typical wage rangeCompensation and Benefits Managers$149,230 median wage22,940 jobs nationwide+1.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$89,160–$256,570 typical wage rangeTraining and Development Managers$133,000 median wage48,050 jobs nationwide+6.4% projected growth through 2035 · 4,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,550–$233,600 typical wage rangeLabor Relations Specialists$95,420 median wage64,810 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 4,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$50,490–$156,180 typical wage rangeTraining and Development Specialists$69,280 median wage458,300 jobs nationwide+10.8% projected growth through 2035 · 46,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$38,760–$123,250 typical wage rangeCompliance Officers$80,730 median wage417,070 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 32,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,220–$133,720 typical wage rangeHuman Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610 median wage90,220 jobs nationwide-6.2% projected growth through 2035 · 7,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$37,340–$68,280 typical wage rangeLaw Teachers, Postsecondary$128,500 median wage20,060 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,250–$287,900 typical wage rangeCompensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210 median wage112,380 jobs nationwide+6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 9,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$49,480–$128,920 typical wage rangeEducational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330 median wage353,310 jobs nationwide+2.9% projected growth through 2035 · 27,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$45,020–$104,770 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
PA12 programs$89,807 average earningsNY11 programs$97,279 average earningsTX9 programs$83,549 average earningsPR9 programs$33,256 average earningsOH9 programs$91,971 average earningsCT9 programs$108,052 average earningsCA9 programs$103,215 average earningsIL8 programs$91,228 average earningsVA7 programs$85,337 average earningsFL7 programs$73,556 average earningsMN6 programs$89,183 average earningsMI6 programs$92,202 average earnings
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.