Hiring a human resources assistant in Aurora, CO

Do Aurora residents in office and administrative support work earn more than employers in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area pay?

Aurora residents working in office and administrative support occupations earn a median of $43,843 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $54,970 as the median of the 49 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 20%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole office and administrative support group, not this one role. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area the group covers 49 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from library assistants, clerical at $30,800 to first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers at $79,120 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping at $56,100 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 49 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Aurora residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Aurora?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. O*NET OnLine, SOC 43-4161.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 32.9% of Aurora adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Aurora aged 25 and over.

The average Aurora commute runs 28.9 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 14.8% of Aurora workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Aurora.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Arapahoe County, administrative and support services employs 23,215 and turns over 13.9% a quarter, with 6,832 hires against 6,964 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $5,036 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 56.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $56,100 median in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $11,220 to $16,830 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a human resources assistant in Aurora

What does it cost to hire a human resources assistant in Aurora?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $56,100 median wage in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $11,220 to $16,830 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a human resources assistant in Aurora look like?

Employers in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area pay human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping a median of $56,100, with the middle half of the market between $48,660 and $64,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $48,660 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Aurora residents in office and administrative support work earn more than employers in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area pay?

Aurora residents working in office and administrative support occupations earn a median of $43,843 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $54,970 as the median of the 49 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 20%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Aurora?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 32.9% of Aurora adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Aurora
• Every Colorado city we cover

Aurora is the 3rd largest of 3 Colorado cities in this dataset.