Human Resources Specialists
Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.
Also called: Corporate Recruiter · Employment Representative · HR Analyst (Human Resources Analyst) · HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator) · HR Generalist (Human Resources Generalist) · Human Resources Representative (HR Rep)
Median pay (national)
$72,910
$45,440–$126,540 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
917,460
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.2%
~81,800 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for human resources specialists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $126,540 versus $45,440 at the bottom 10% — 2.8x. The median of $72,910 leaves roughly 74% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.2% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 81,800 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $102,500, +41% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $37,920 — a 170% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Applicant tracking software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
- 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.
- Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
- Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
- Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities.
- Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate.
- Schedule or conduct new employee orientations.
- Maintain and update human resources documents, such as organizational charts, employee handbooks or directories, or performance evaluation forms.
Tools & technology
- Applicant tracking software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Oracle HRIS
- Workday software
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Apple macOS
- Cisco Webex
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Extensible markup language XML
Knowledge areas
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics