How To Become A Director Of Personnel: What It Is and Career Path

What is a director of personnel and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Sandi Dornhecker

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a director of personnel. For example, did you know that they make an average of $35.4 an hour? That's $73,637 a year! 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 of personnel?

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 Of PersonnelUS Average

Salary

5.8

Avg. Salary $73,637

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 48.96%

male 51.04%

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 of personnel

Explore director of personnel education requirements

Most common director of personnel degrees

Bachelor's

62.2 %

Master's

18.3 %

Associate

11.8 %

Start to develop specific director of personnel skills

Skills	Percentages
Payroll Processing	12.79%
Safety Program	8.69%
Personnel Policies	7.83%
Disciplinary Procedures	6.13%
Human Resource Functions	4.09%

Research director of personnel duties and responsibilities

Manage personnel time, payroll through ADP, personnel, & HDFC insurance policies.
Manage HRIS and payroll systems, ensure timely entry of data, provide reports and certify payroll.
Manage UAB and HSF faculty recruitment, staffing needs, terminations, compensation, records management, employee relations and retention.
Direct the implementation of a new HRIS system.

Get director of personnel experience

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

Prepare your director of personnel resume

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

Build a professional director of personnel 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 personnel resume.