HR pay at each career level
Intern / Trainee€33.5k
Junior / Associate€48k
Mid-level€58.5k
Senior€85.5k
Manager / Lead€94.5k
Director / Head€162k
| Level | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile | Pay ranges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intern / Trainee | €33,500 | €19,300 | €39,400 | 68 |
| Junior / Associate | €48,000 | €36,800 | €63,000 | 389 |
| Mid-level | €58,500 | €42,000 | €82,700 | 1,778 |
| Senior | €85,500 | €59,800 | €117,000 | 473 |
| Manager / Lead | €94,500 | €64,400 | €126,000 | 652 |
| Director / Head | €162,000 | €126,000 | €200,600 | 254 |
How much each promotion is worth
| Step | Median before | Median after | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intern / Trainee → Junior / Associate | €33,500 | €48,000 | +43% |
| Junior / Associate → Mid-level | €48,000 | €58,500 | +22% |
| Mid-level → Senior | €58,500 | €85,500 | +46% |
| Senior → Manager / Lead | €85,500 | €94,500 | +11% |
| Manager / Lead → Director / Head | €94,500 | €162,000 | +71% |
Steps are not equal. Moving into management or a director role changes pay the most, while early-career steps are smaller. Postings at the top of the ladder are also concentrated in North America, which pulls the senior medians up.
The HR career ladder by market
| Level | North America | EU | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intern / Trainee | — | €24,400 | — |
| Junior / Associate | €56,200 | €37,000 | €35,400 |
| Mid-level | €78,300 | €43,500 | €44,500 |
| Senior | €103,500 | €52,300 | €46,800 |
| Manager / Lead | €114,400 | €60,000 | €61,400 |
| Director / Head | €169,600 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
›How much does an HR director earn?
HR director and head-of-people postings have a median of €162,000 a year across all markets.
›What is a typical entry-level HR salary?
Junior and associate HR roles have a median of €48,000 a year.
›Which HR promotion brings the biggest raise?
From Manager / Lead to Director / Head: the median rises by +71%.
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