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Job outlook for employment representatives in the United States
Are employment representative jobs in demand?
Employment representative job and salary trends over time
Employment representative jobs over time
Employment representative job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,664 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,455 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,422 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,333 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,244 | 0.00% |
Average employment representative salary over time
Employment representative salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,457 | $17.53 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $35,555 | $17.09 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $34,958 | $16.81 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $34,654 | $16.66 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $33,982 | $16.34 | +1.4% |
Employment representative jobs by state
Most common states for employment representatives
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 24 | 3% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 137 | 2% |
| 3 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 107 | 2% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 94 | 2% |
| 5 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 45 | 2% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 32 | 2% |
| 7 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 26 | 2% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 24 | 2% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 18 | 2% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 12 | 2% |
| 11 | California | 39,536,653 | 322 | 1% |
| 12 | New York | 19,849,399 | 195 | 1% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 85 | 1% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 72 | 1% |
| 15 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 58 | 1% |
| 16 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 37 | 1% |
| 17 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 13 | 1% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 13 | 1% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 11 | 1% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 9 | 1% |
Most common cities for employment representatives
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Immokalee | 1 | 4% | $30,473 |
| 2 | Panama City | 1 | 3% | $30,678 |
| 3 | Fort Lauderdale | 3 | 2% | $30,376 |
| 4 | Tallahassee | 3 | 2% | $30,515 |
| 5 | Sanford | 1 | 2% | $30,325 |
| 6 | Hollywood | 2 | 1% | $30,373 |
| 7 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $30,345 |
| 8 | Duluth | 1 | 1% | $40,349 |
| 9 | Fort Myers | 1 | 1% | $30,505 |
| 10 | Port Saint Lucie | 1 | 1% | $30,370 |
| 11 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $34,835 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $30,247 |
Employment Representative job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of employment representative experts
Grand Valley State University
Saint Leo University
University of Maine at Machias
Kansas State University
Superior Restaurant Group
University of New Hampshire
NC State University
Indiana University Kokomo
Drexel University
LIU-Brooklyn
Michigan State University
Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.
Affiliate of Practice Professor, SHRM Student Chapter AdviserGrand Valley State University
Seidman College of Business
What hard/technical skills are most important for Employment Representatives?
Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.: Knowledge of the HR Discipline
-Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
-Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
-Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, government regulations, and executive orders.
-Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for training design, implementation, and evaluation.
Technology Skills
-Enterprise resource planning ERP software
-Human resources software - Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
-Office suite software
-Project management software
-Web page creation and editing software
-Word processing software
What soft skills should all Employment Representatives possess?
Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.: Soft Skills
-Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
-Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
-Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
-Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
-Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
-Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
-Coordination - Adjusting actions concerning others' actions.
-Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
-Competencies - Blend of skills, abilities, and knowledge
-Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
-Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
-Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
-Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
-Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and considerable variety in the workplace.
-Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
-Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and understanding and helpful on the job.
-Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone and being personally connected with others on the job.
-Analytical Thinking - The job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
-Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management & Human ResourcesSaint Leo University
Management & Operations Department
What soft skills should all Employment Representatives possess?
J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.: FYI, soft skills are a lot more difficult to train than hard skills. This is part of the reason that there is so much demand for soft skills - for the most part, they need to be innate to the candidate.
Here again, communication comes up - and here, it is important to recognize that communication is much more than just telling people. A good communicator is a great listener. He knows when to speak his mind and when to wait and see what happens. She knows how to collaborate effectively with people and how to take action when needed.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Employment Representatives?
J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.: Even though these skills are much more trainable, it helps if HR professionals are familiar with HR information systems.
There are too many to name them all here (sorry, no free advertising)! It would be difficult for a candidate to be familiar with every platform a company might use for their HRIS, but it is good to know that they generally work in the same ways.
If the company asks if you have experience with a particular platform that you have never heard of, always be truthful but still be ready to ask intelligent questions about it: "I'm not too familiar with that platform, but I'd be curious to know about your employees' experiences with it. How long have you been using it, and how robust is the self-service interface?"
What skills will help Employment Representatives earn the most?
J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.: In any field, it helps to be able to demonstrate you are qualified by presenting professional certification. Certification is shorthand for all soft and hard skills that an employer would want a new hire to have. You can say that you have the skills; you can demonstrate that you have the skills if you get the chance. Alternatively, you can show that an external organization has assessed your skills and found you worthy by presenting your certificate. Most upper-level HR professionals hold one or more certifications in compensation, strategic human resources, or talent development, demonstrating that they have the experience and the know-how to get the job done.
Robert Tropea
Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurial Studies.University of Maine at Machias
Department of Business and Professional Studies
What skills stand out on Employment Representative resumes?
Robert Tropea: The Human Resource Coordinator provides clerical duties for the organization's human resource department. This individual provides administrative support and assistance to the HR Manager in recruiting projects to fill open positions within the company. The HR Coordinator may likely also assist in guiding new employees through many other human resource processes to include benefits, payroll, and a whole variety of the duties and responsibilities associated with the position the individual has been hired for. In essence, the coordinator must be aware of and possess much of the HR Managers skill set."
Although work experience in a particular field would stand out most in an individual's resume, these experiences may not exist for a recent college graduate. So, lacking specific experience, among the more important skills to provide, could include an "internship" opportunity within an HR department or specific courses in your school related to the HR function. In my opinion, however, is my strong belief in "Certifications" For example at our university we offer a "Certification" in Human Resource Management.
Human Resource Management Certificate - 18 credits
Complete all of the following:
-BUS 324 - Labor Relations Management
-BUS 325 - Business Ethics & Social Responsibility
-MAN 301 - Management
-MAN 315 - Essentials of Negotiation
- MAN 332 - Human Resource Management
Complete one of the following:
-BUS 332 - Leadership
-MAN 313 - Managerial Decision Making
-MAN 318 - Human Behavior in Organizations
-MAN 321 - Operations & Project Management
Since all these courses are offered within most Business Degree programs as either required or elective, a student can earn this or most "Certifications" with careful planning.
The completion of a certificate of this sort is a very close equivalent to the actual experience in the field.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Employment Representative job market given the pandemic?
Anthony Ferraro Ph.D.: One of the things that we are seeing at the moment is a move toward remote work. Over the last year we saw many of our student internships and work placements operating in a remote space. There is some suggestion that this style work may continue. Reducing overhead for physical spaces when work can be done remotely and comfort-level with remote work has increased is likely a contributing factor there. Given some of the trends we are seeing in mental health and demands on counseling services, I foresee increased opportunity in that space. One of the things that is most appealing about each of these trends to our students is that in either scenario being "location locked" (due to family obligations or unwillingness to relocate) will not be an issue and that these emerging professionals will be able to make a difference in their own communities. Many of our students place a high value on impacting change, particularly at the local level.
How have salaries changed over time for Employment Representatives?
Brandi Sechrist: Salaries have risen over the years but not drastically.
Jonathan Nash Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of AccountingUniversity of New Hampshire
Paul College of Business and Economics
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Employment Representatives?
Jonathan Nash Ph.D.: Most firms expect students to have a plan for obtaining a CPA license when they're hired. Students must have an undergraduate degree to sit for the CPA exams, so most undergraduates begin taking exams after receiving their degree. Graduate students take the CPA exams while enrolled in the MSA program. Other certifications improve a student's resume, but are not the primary determinant of placement.
Thomas Byrnes
Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Marketing Faculty Adviser, American Marketing AssociationNC State University
Department of Business Management
What's a day at work look like for an Employment Representative?
Thomas Byrnes: Obviously, there is quite a bit of "screen time". Zoom meetings, virtual client meetings, peer team meetings, etc. are probably what they will be spending quite a bit of time with. So, it is important that a recent graduate is comfortable with electronic calendaring. It is important though that they have a reasonable work-life balance. They need to ensure that they build time into their schedules for breaks which could include lunch breaks as well as time to physically complete some exercise. It is vital that these graduates can find a work place in their home environment that is relatively free from distractions.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Employment Representative job market given the pandemic?
Thomas Byrnes: What I am hearing from the employers and the students (recent hires and those searching for jobs) is that companies are looking for people who are self-motivated, focused, technology proficient and flexible. Most work environments are currently remote (from the HQ location) and it appears that many of those companies are looking at a flexible work environment whereby employees can work from home several days a week in the post pandemic time period.
It appears that there has been no lack of productivity of employees working from home and the technology allows for productive meetings, collaboration with team members and reduction in expenses. But, I do see a reduction in job offers currently. Here at NC State (Poole college of management), we had a career fair this past week and we witnessed a decrease in the number of companies available to interview students. Additionally, I haven't seen that much attrition with recent hires jumping to other jobs since there appears to be fewer opportunities. Hopefully, our career fair in the fall 2021 will see an increase in the number of employers at the event.
Adam Smith Ph.D.
Bicentennial Professor, Associate Professor of Management, Enactus Sam Walton FellowIndiana University Kokomo
School of Business
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Employment Representatives?
Adam Smith Ph.D.: The work environment may be changed forever. Many employers may hang on to elements of this current work from home reality, if they didn't have a negative impact on productivity. Additionally, some employees from younger generations may enjoy the added flexibility. The good news for graduates is that they are getting more experience with online meetings, collaboration technology, and virtual teams. So even though this may not be an approach we sought in education, it is giving students skills that will translate after graduation.
What technical skills for an Employment Representative stand out to employers?
Adam Smith Ph.D.: That varies by industry, employer, level, and position. Also, it depends on their approach to hiring and training. It is important that students research employers and industries that interest them. But overall, it may be skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, time management, and collaboration that remain vital. Going forward, effective communication, tech savviness, a positive view of change (as opportunity), and an openness to continuous learning may set people apart in organizations.
Dr. Salvatore Falletta
Human Resource Development – Program DirectorDrexel University
Policy, Organization, and Leadership
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Employment Representatives?
Dr. Salvatore Falletta: The once-in-a-100-years pandemic namely, COVID-19, has been sweeping across our nation and the world. Uncertainty is at an all-time high, as we experience complete disruption of our daily activities and become more homebound. As a result, the way in which we work has changed rapidly. Working remotely has exponentially increased and technology is being leveraged like never before. Remote work will be the new normal for many organizations and industries including the HR profession, which in turn, will provide recent graduates and top talent with greater opportunities irrespective of geographical location and where they physically reside.
What soft skills should all Employment Representatives possess?
Dr. Salvatore Falletta: While technical skills are vitally important, organizations today expect new employees to posses a broader range of competencies including "soft skills" such as communication, ethics and integrity, being a team player, intercultural sensitivity (e.g., global awareness, diversity, equity, and inclusion), and creativity and innovation, among others.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Employment Representatives?
Herbert Sherman Ph.D.: The coronavirus has changed the way in which people work as well as the type of work that people will be performing by accelerating the use of technology to facilitate more employees working in a virtual setting and therein reducing the need for traditional office space or even shared workspace. Graduates with a degree in human resource management will need to not only be comfortable working remotely in a non-office environment but need to truly find a balance between work demands (which are now 24/7) and the ability to lose oneself within the comforts of one's home surroundings. Work-life balance will not only be of the utmost import for employees but for HR professionals as well.
Secondly, HR graduates, even if working in a traditional office setting, will be expected to be well versed in the use of HR analytics and HRIS packages (i.e. UKG Pro, TriNet, BambooHR, UKG Ready, Workday Human Capital Management, Ceridian Dayforce, Oracle Cloud HCM, ADP Workforce Now, Oracle PeopleSoft HCM, Paychex Flex, and Zenefits) which integrate HR functions including job analysis and job design, recruitment and selection of employees, training and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, and employee retention. HR graduates should also be quite comfortable using computer hardware and software that facilitate virtual meetings and conferences - in person job interviews may become the thing of the past and replaced with Zoom, Google Hangouts, Cisco Webex Meetings and even Skype or WhatsApp.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Employment Representatives?
Herbert Sherman Ph.D.: SHRM certification will continue to be the "platinum standard" in the HR profession although other generalized certifications such as Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) and of course obtaining a Masters in HR are other options. There are now a plethora of specialized certifications that one may pursue based upon what area of HR one wishes to pursue.
For example, in training and development The Association for Talent Development (ATD) provides the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance and the new Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials while there are other sources of HR and talent acquisitions certifications programs from the Talent Management Institute (TMI), the National Association for Health Care Recruitment (NAHCR) and the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) just to name a few. Given the trend in HR toward technological solutions, I strongly recommend obtaining a background in HRIS.
Several organizations provide such training (and certification) including the International Association of Human Resources Information Management (IHRIM).
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Employment Representatives in the next 5 years?
Dr. Phil Gardner Ph.D.: During the quarantine, we had strong demand for both interns and graduates - there were many programs at MSU that had many internships canceled due to covid. Americans now realize the importance of our food industry and supply chain as we all saw shortages in the stores - food production is essential. Areas such as poultry, swine, dairy and meat industry are winning the student recruitment battle because of competitive salaries. The demand for talent in production ag has been strong. We also have a few contract research organizations recruiting for study technicians. I predict that the trend of more animal science jobs than interested students will continue in the future.
Employers are offering jobs if students are doing a great job in their internship. MSU also had two-year programs offered through our Institute of Ag Technology, last fall. We had a first-year student get offered an internship in the fall with Kalmbach in Ohio, halfway through his summer internship, and he was offered a job. Because his courses are now online this semester, he is staying in Ohio, starting his new job, and finishing up his classes online.