How To Become A Director, Human Resources And Administration: What It Is and Career Path

What is a director, human resources and administration and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Sandi Dornhecker

The average director, human resources and administration salary is $104,409. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a director, human resources and administration. Directors, human resources and administration with a Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 12,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a director, human resources and administration?

Sandi Dornhecker

Vice President of Human Resources, Chicago Zoological Society

To always remain positive. The job market has been flooded with unemployed workers, so the competition may be much steeper than usual, although I've read some articles that say this may not be the case as the number of quality applicants in the workforce remains the same. If you haven't found a position in your desired career yet, take positions and work when and where you can. Give it your all while you are working, strive to excel in your performance, no matter what your job is, and be a dedicated worker while you are there. If one is looking for employment, take your time to review the job(s) and requirements of the positions you are applying for to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications and/or are able to speak to how your skills are transferable; don't just take a shotgun approach. Write a customized cover letter for each position you apply for that reflects how your knowledge, background, and skills apply to the position and why you are interested. Answer all on-line application questions honestly and thoroughly. Write a thank-you note, if you are granted an interview. When you start a new job, be a sponge. Learn as much as you can and be willing to go the extra mile. This is a unique year to start one's career, and a graduate can learn unique lessons in both positive and challenging experiences.

ScoreDirector, Human Resources And AdministrationUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $104,409

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.71%

Black or African American 7.65%

Hispanic or Latino 11.14%

Unknown 5.09%

White 70.01%

Gender

female 70.53%

male 29.47%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a director, human resources and administration

Explore director, human resources and administration education requirements

Most common director, human resources and administration degrees

Bachelor's

63.8 %

Master's

19.4 %

Associate

10.9 %

Start to develop specific director, human resources and administration skills

Skills	Percentages
Legal Compliance	9.52%
HRIS	6.62%
Workers Compensation	4.27%
Hr Administration	4.24%
Training Programs	4.14%

Research director, human resources and administration duties and responsibilities

Manage all corporate-wide employee relations issues, management counseling, corrective action oversight and employee assistance services.
Advise senior management on areas of classification and compensation, EEO, FMLA, COMAR, and discipline.
Review and update procedures and documentation on reporting and compliance of leave under FMLA.
Lead purchase and implementation of ADP payroll systems including development of payroll policy and procedures.

Get director, human resources and administration experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director, human resources and administration. The most common roles before becoming a director, human resources and administration include human resources manager, director of human resources team lead and human resources coordinator.

Prepare your director, human resources and administration resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director, human resources and administration resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director, human resources and administration resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable director, human resources and administration resume templates

Build a professional director, human resources and administration resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director, human resources and administration resume.

Apply for director, human resources and administration jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a director, human resources and administration job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average director, human resources and administration salary

The average director, human resources and administration salary in the United States is $104,409 per year or $50 per hour. Director, human resources and administration salaries range between $59,000 and $183,000 per year.

Average director, human resources and administration salary

$104,409 Yearly

$50.20 hourly

How do directors, human resources and administration rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Director, human resources and administration reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021

Pros

Making a difference in the lives of the people and the community where I am employed.

Cons

Decline in business levels and employee layoffs.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Autonomy to address HR issues as I see fit. Ability to work with people in all areas of the company, in all roles and at all levels.

Cons

I'm the only HR person, so I don't have a team.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

It increase ones knowledge about information

Cons

Too task a times and need to do a lot of review

What is a director, human resources and administration and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a director, human resources and administration?

Director, human resources and administration career paths

Key steps to become a director, human resources and administration

Explore director, human resources and administration education requirements

Most common director, human resources and administration degrees

Start to develop specific director, human resources and administration skills

Research director, human resources and administration duties and responsibilities

Get director, human resources and administration experience

Prepare your director, human resources and administration resume

Choose from 10+ customizable director, human resources and administration resume templates

Apply for director, human resources and administration jobs

How did you land your first director, human resources and administration job

Average director, human resources and administration salary

How do directors, human resources and administration rate their job?

Director, human resources and administration reviews