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The differences between employment specialists and human resources generalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an employment specialist and a human resources generalist. Additionally, a human resources generalist has an average salary of $56,159, which is higher than the $39,530 average annual salary of an employment specialist.
The top three skills for an employment specialist include customer service, rehabilitation and mental health. The most important skills for a human resources generalist are HRIS, performance management, and customer service.
| Employment Specialist | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,530 | $56,159 |
| Hourly rate | $19.00 | $27.00 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 59,757 | 44,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An employment specialist deals with job applicants to match their talents to a specific job that properly suits them. Employment specialists assist applicants or the unemployed by testing their skills, conducting mock interviews, and creating a proper resume. They can work separately within a company or be part of the human resources department to assist in the hiring process. Employment specialists are often tasked to handle company layoffs and act as the liaison officer between the employer and the Department of Labor.
A human resources generalist is responsible for monitoring the human resources policies and procedures, making adjustments as needed to align with the company's goals and objectives. Duties of a human resources generalist also include improving employee relations system, organizing compliance and knowledge training, reviewing benefit plans, managing compensation inquiries, assisting in recruitment and staffing needs, communicating with department heads in employees' performance reviews, and storing employees' files for reference. A human resource generalist must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to address issues concerning the company and employees' welfare.
Employment specialists and human resources generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Employment Specialist | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Average salary | $39,530 | $56,159 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $52,000 | Between $41,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an employment specialist and a human resources generalist in terms of educational background:
| Employment Specialist | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between employment specialists' and human resources generalists' demographics:
| Employment Specialist | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6% | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |