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Hiring a human resources specialist in Moreno Valley, CA

Employers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area pay human resources specialists a median of $76,570, with the middle half of the market between $60,180 and $99,700. Moreno Valley residents working in business and financial operations occupations report a median of $63,147, which is 18% below what the metro pays for this role.

What does a human resources specialist earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile$60,180
Median$76,570
75th percentile$99,700

Half of human resources specialists in this area earn between $60,180 and $99,700. A band set below $60,180 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Moreno Valley residents earn

$63,147

Median earnings of Moreno Valley residents working in business and financial operations occupations, 3,702 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 18% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside Moreno Valley rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

  • Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
  • Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
  • Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
  • Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 13-1071.

Tools and technologies in demand

Applicant tracking software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Oracle HRIS, Adobe Acrobat.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Moreno Valley?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

That matters here, because 17.3% of Moreno Valley adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a thin local pool for a degree-requiring role, so expect to recruit across the metro rather than inside the city. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Moreno Valley commute runs 34.7 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 7.2% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Riverside County, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 2,725 and turns over 16.5% a quarter, with 710 hires against 373 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $4,186 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5412.

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 specialists. 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 median would bill roughly $15,314 to $22,971 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.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring a human resources specialist somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other business and financial operations roles in Moreno Valley

Related

Moreno Valley is the 21th largest of 21 California cities in this dataset.