HR salary by number of employees
1–10 people€40.7k
11–50 people€46.8k
51–200 people€56.7k
201–500 people€74.2k
501–1,000 people€69.9k
1,001–5,000 people€78.8k
5,000+ people€91.3k
| Company size | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile | Pay ranges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 people | €40,700 | €34,400 | €54,000 | 66 |
| 11–50 people | €46,800 | €36,800 | €67,500 | 536 |
| 51–200 people | €56,700 | €41,000 | €99,000 | 788 |
| 201–500 people | €74,200 | €47,500 | €117,000 | 593 |
| 501–1,000 people | €69,900 | €51,800 | €103,800 | 440 |
| 1,001–5,000 people | €78,800 | €56,200 | €115,100 | 726 |
| 5,000+ people | €91,300 | €66,100 | €123,100 | 465 |
Why bigger employers pay HR more
Large employers split HR into specialist teams, such as HRIS, rewards and HR business partners, and these roles pay more than the all-round HR jobs of a small company. They also hire more senior HR people, and more of them in high-pay markets.
Small companies make up for it with scope: the first HR hire at a 50-person company often runs recruiting, payroll, onboarding and policy alone, which builds a broad profile fast.
Frequently asked questions
›Do startups pay HR less than large companies?
Yes. HR postings at companies with 1–10 people have a median of €40,700, against €91,300 at the largest employers.
›What do HR people earn at mid-size companies?
At 51–200 people, the median HR posting pays €56,700; at 201–500 people, €74,200.
Turn market data into pay bandsSkailer keeps salaries, pay bands and compensation reviews next to your employee records, so every offer and raise starts from the same numbers.
Related salary data
About this dataPay ranges published in 132,956 job postings, collected from company career pages and applicant tracking systems. Each posting counts once, at the middle of its range, converted to yearly pay in euros. We show a figure only when at least 20 postings back it. Updated October 2026. How we collect and calculate the data