Check my payPrincipal HR Business Partner salary
What a Principal HR Business Partner (level IC5, Senior Staff / Principal) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle
Most companies pay between $165,500 and $246,000.
The shaded middle is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Check my payHR Business Partner pay by level
Median base salary, top-tier markets.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate HR Business PartnerIC1 Associate / Entry | $80k |
| HR Business PartnerIC2 Mid-level | $110k |
| Senior HR Business PartnerIC3 Senior | $145k |
| Lead HR Business PartnerIC4 Staff / Lead | $177k |
| Principal HR Business PartnerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $206k |
| Senior Principal HR Business PartnerIC6 Distinguished | $240k |
Related roles at IC5
Questions
How much does a Principal HR Business Partner make?
In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Principal HR Business Partner is $206,000, with most companies paying between $165,500 and $246,000. Pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.
How do I know if I am underpaid?
Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.
Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.