HR Assistant salary in Rochester, NY
Hiring an HR assistant costs less in Rochester than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $48,390 a year1: 8.6% below the New York statewide median of $52,920 and 4.4% below the US median of $50,610. Among US areas it comes in at #194 of 384. About 610 HR assistants work here, 7% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $36,550 | $48,390 | $63,770 | |
| New York | $39,000 | $52,920 | $73,620 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
The middle half of HR assistants in Rochester earns $44,800–$57,090. The top tenth earns $63,770 or more, 1.7 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.8 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,290 wide, against $17,060 across New York and $15,770 nationally: employers in Rochester pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,550 | $3,046 | $17.57 | $47,161 |
| 25th percentile | $44,800 | $3,733 | $21.54 | $57,806 |
| Median | $48,390 | $4,032 | $23.26 | $62,439 |
| 75th percentile | $57,090 | $4,758 | $27.45 | $73,665 |
| 90th percentile | $63,770 | $5,314 | $30.66 | $82,284 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,700 over the median, the 25th only $3,590 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,226 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,610 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $52,920 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $14,049 to the $48,390 median and brings it to $62,439 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for HR assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Rochester
Of the 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($50,870) and administrative assistants ($46,770). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,520.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +18.3% | 1,300 | |
| Bookkeeper | +5.1% | 4,380 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 610 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.3% | 6,230 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -6.7% | 190 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-4.4%), between sales development representatives (-3.7%) and data entry specialists (-4.7%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 1.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 0.8% across New York and 0.6% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $46,120 in Kingston to $56,850 in New York-Newark, a gap of $10,730 a year. All 2 areas in New York with more HR assistants than Rochester also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($56,850) and Albany-Schenectady, NY ($52,690).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira, NY | +1.1% | 50 | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | +1.0% | 100 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | +0.0% | 40 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 610 | |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | -0.6% | 140 | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | -4.1% | 180 | |
| Kingston, NY | -4.7% | 40 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #31 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside New York, Port St. Lucie and Indianapolis-Carmel pay just above Rochester and Abilene and Detroit-Warren just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | +5.0% | 610 | jobs | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +0.5% | 610 | jobs | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | +0.0% | 890 | pay | |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | +0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 610 | ||
| Abilene, TX | -0.1% | 30 | pay | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -0.2% | 870 | pay | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -0.7% | 600 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Rochester, NY?
About $62,439 a year at the median, or $5,203 a month: $48,390 in pay plus about $14,049 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for HR assistants in Rochester?
The median was $48,390 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,550, the 90th $63,770, and the middle half earned $44,800 to $57,090.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for HR assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,390 against $52,920 statewide. The next area up in New York is Glens Falls at $48,410, the next down the Central East New York nonmetro area at $48,090.
How many HR assistants work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 610 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the New York total of 8,800. Only New York-Newark and Albany-Schenectady have more in New York.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in Rochester?
Yes: $1,620 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,390 and $46,770.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.