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Director, People Operations and HRIS salary

What a Director, People Operations and HRIS (level M5, Director) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.

Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026

Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle

$218,500

Most companies pay between $172,500 and $264,500.

Median $219k $173k25th$265k75th

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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People Operations Specialist pay by level

Median base salary, top-tier markets.

TitleMedian base
Associate Manager, People Operations and HRISM2 Associate Manager$137k
Manager, People Operations and HRISM3 Manager$159k
Senior Manager, People Operations and HRISM4 Senior Manager$185k
Director, People Operations and HRISM5 Director$219k
Senior Director, People Operations and HRISM6 Senior Director$247k
VP, People Operations and HRISE1 Vice President$286k

All People Operations Specialist levels

Related roles at M5

Questions

How much does a Director, People Operations and HRIS make?

In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Director, People Operations and HRIS is $218,500, with most companies paying between $172,500 and $264,500. 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.