Yes, HR jobs pay well. While entry-level jobs in HR may pay salaries as low as $40,000 per year, more senior positions can easily earn salaries exceeding $100,000 per year. An entry-level job in human resources may provide a salary on the lower end of this salary range. Such a position, however, may provide opportunities to advance one's career in human resources. With a few years of experience in human resources, it may become possible to enter into a management position.

What is a director of human resources and how to become one

Q: How hard is it to become an HR manager?

It is not hard to become an HR manager. The easiest way to become a human resources manager is by holding a bachelor's degree in human resources (HR) and having at least a few years of experience working in human resources.

Q: How long does it take to become an HR director?

It usually takes at least five years of work experience to become an HR director. This work experience is in addition to either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in human resources.

Q: How much does a director of human resources make?

A director of human resources makes about $118,000 a year. However, the average salary range for this can be anywhere from $70,000 to $170,000 annually. A director of human resources who earns the highest salaries tends to work in professional, scientific, or technical services. However, human resource directors who work in large enterprise companies average only slightly less.

Q: What is the difference between an HR manager and an HR director?

The difference between an HR manager and HR directors is their levels of responsibility within the organization and their daily tasks. Human resources directors establish a company's goals, policies, and strategies, while managers concentrate on a specific branch of human resources, such as hiring or training staff.

Q: What skills should an HR director have?

An HR director should have leadership, development, and policy development skills. Human resources directors should have the skills to lead and organize a company's staff. To be a qualified human resources director, a person must also understand local and federal employment laws, benefits packages, and human resources computer programs. Also necessary are highly developed interpersonal skills, as human resources directors must regularly organize and communicate with a wide range of company employees.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Ryan Ceresola

A director of human resources is an executive responsible for managing the human resource department. They oversee the recruitment, training, retention, and development of employees, and ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Additionally, they develop and implement HR policies, manage employee benefits and compensation, and provide guidance to management. The director of human resources works to maintain positive employee relations, resolve conflicts, and foster a culture that aligns with the organization's values.

What general advice would you give to a director of human resources?

Ryan Ceresola

Assistant Professor, Hartwick College

In the workplace, your value has never been about what grade you've received in a particular class. It is about your ability to think critically and in a nuanced way about projects and the needs of a certain employer. The best thing you can do to prepare yourself to conduct such work is to learn about your role from others in similar fields. Read through online forums, watch YouTube videos, and check out blogs of practitioners early on in your career. Even better - connect to individuals you know who are on similar career paths about what they've done and how they've been successful. By senior year of college, you should have the ability to search for information on your own, parse through it, and be able to interpret and learn from it on your own. Use those skills!

ScoreDirector Of Human ResourcesUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $100,601

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 65.01%

male 34.99%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a director of human resources?

Pros

High salary potential
Opportunities for career advancement
Chance to work with people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets
Opportunity to implement policies and procedures that benefit employees
Access to professional development and training opportunities

Cons

High level of stress and pressure
Difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of HR initiatives
Managing a large team with varying personalities and work styles
Limited control over company decisions outside of HR department
Can be emotionally draining due to dealing with employee issues.

Key steps to become a director of human resources

Explore director of human resources education requirements

Most common director of human resources degrees

Bachelor's

69.0 %

Master's

17.7 %

Associate

8.4 %

Start to develop specific director of human resources skills

Skills	Percentages
Performance Management	8.28%
HRIS	5.00%
Employee Engagement	4.00%
Payroll Processing	3.88%
Customer Service	3.87%

Research director of human resources duties and responsibilities

Recruit, negotiate new benefit contracts, manage compensation budget with department managers, process and oversee payroll.
Develop a structure interview process, implement online background investigation, integrity surveying applications, and manage the HRIS system.
Adopt mediation as a prefer means of reduce cost employee dispute resolution.
Design performance management training program and develop and deliver sexual harassment and EEO training to production show staff.

Get director of human resources experience

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

Prepare your director of human resources resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of human resources 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 of human resources 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 of human resources resume templates

Build a professional director of human resources 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 of human resources resume.

Apply for director of human resources jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a director of human resources 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 of human resources salary

The average director of human resources salary in the United States is $100,601 per year or $48 per hour. Director of human resources salaries range between $68,000 and $147,000 per year.

Average director of human resources salary

$100,601 Yearly

$48.37 hourly

How do directors of human resources rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Director of human resources reviews

5.0

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

Helping people throughout the organization

Cons

Lack of control over certain areas of HR

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.

What is a director of human resources and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a director of human resources?

What are the pros and cons of being a director of human resources?

Director of human resources career paths

Key steps to become a director of human resources

Explore director of human resources education requirements

Most common director of human resources degrees

Start to develop specific director of human resources skills

Research director of human resources duties and responsibilities

Get director of human resources experience

Prepare your director of human resources resume

Choose from 10+ customizable director of human resources resume templates

Apply for director of human resources jobs

How did you land your first director of human resources job

Average director of human resources salary

How do directors of human resources rate their job?

Director of human resources reviews

Director of human resources FAQs

Do HR jobs pay well?

How hard is it to become an HR manager?

How long does it take to become an HR director?

How much does a director of human resources make?

What is the difference between an HR manager and an HR director?

What skills should an HR director have?

Search for director of human resources jobs

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