Human resources specialists

SOC Code: 13-1071
Also known as:
Business Intelligence Engineer, Career Development Specialist, Career Development Technician, Career Specialist, Certification Specialist
Median Annual Salary
$72,910
+6.2% growth (2024-2034)
82K
Openings/Year
944K
Current Jobs

What Human resources specialists Do

Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.

💰 Salary

$72,910
Median annual wage (2024)

📈 Job Growth

+6.2%
Faster than average

🎓 Education

Bachelor's degree
Typical entry-level requirement

🚀 Annual Openings

82K
Projected average per year

Employment Projections (2024-2034)

Current Employment (2024)

944,300

Projected Employment (2034)

1,002,700

Top Skills Required

Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing
Critical Thinking

Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

  • 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.
  • Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
  • 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.

Technology & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Apple macOS Cisco Webex ESRI ArcGIS software Extensible markup language XML Facebook

📚 Entry-Level Education

Bachelor's degree
Most common requirement

🎯 Recommended Education

Bachelor's Degree
O*NET recommended level

Degree Programs for Human resources specialists

These degree programs can prepare you for a career as a human resources specialists:

Business Administration and Management, General

336,590 degrees awarded • 2,332 colleges offer this program

Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General

17,602 degrees awarded • 531 colleges offer this program

Organizational Behavior Studies

3,447 degrees awarded • 112 colleges offer this program

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

2,898 degrees awarded • 126 colleges offer this program

Human Resources Management and Services, Other

950 degrees awarded • 35 colleges offer this program

Executive/Career Coaching

101 degrees awarded • 11 colleges offer this program

Best Colleges for Becoming a Human resources specialists

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees in related programs. These are the top-rated colleges that prepare students to become human resources specialists.

# College Location Related Degrees Repit Grade
1 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 1,370 A+
2 Boston University Boston, MA 1,778 A
3 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 1,490 A
4 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 638 A
5 University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 585 A
6 San Diego State University San Diego, CA 2,399 B+
7 California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA 1,681 B+
8 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 1,501 B+
9 Babson College Wellesley, MA 1,154 B+
10 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC 1,014 B+
11 Florida International University Miami, FL 993 B+
12 Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN 879 B+
13 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 777 B+
14 Clemson University Clemson, SC 733 B+
15 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA 684 B+
16 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 665 B+
17 Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX 580 B+
18 California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA 2,397 B
19 San Jose State University San Jose, CA 1,695 B
20 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA 1,422 B

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do human resources specialists make?
The median annual salary for human resources specialists is $72,910.
What education do human resources specialists need?
Most human resources specialists positions require a bachelor's degree. Common degree programs include Business Administration and Management, General, Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General, Organizational Behavior Studies.
Is becoming human resources specialists a good career choice?
Human resources specialists is projected to see +6.2% job growth from 2024 to 2034, which is faster than average for all occupations. With approximately 81,800 job openings expected annually, there are good opportunities for those entering the field.
What are the best colleges for human resources specialists?
Top colleges for aspiring human resources specialists include University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Boston University, University of Florida, The University of Texas at Austin, University of California-Irvine. These schools are ranked based on their Repit grade and the number of graduates in related programs.
What other job titles are similar to human resources specialists?
Human resources specialists may also be known as: Business Intelligence Engineer, Career Development Specialist, Career Development Technician, Career Specialist, Certification Specialist, Contract Recruiter, Corporate Recruiter, Credentialing Coordinator, Credentialing Specialist, Credentials Specialist, Employee Advisor, Employee Counselor, Employee Health Maintenance Program Specialist, Employee Operations Examiner, Employee Placement Specialist, Employee Service Officer, Employment Advisor, Employment Appeals Examiner, Employment Interviewer, Employment Officer. These titles often refer to similar roles with varying responsibilities or specializations.