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The differences between generalists and directors of human resources can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a generalist and a director of human resources. Additionally, a director of human resources has an average salary of $100,601, which is higher than the $46,518 average annual salary of a generalist.
The top three skills for a generalist include sales floor, store sales and customer loyalty. The most important skills for a director of human resources are performance management, HRIS, and employee engagement.
| Generalist | Director Of Human Resources | |
| Yearly salary | $46,518 | $100,601 |
| Hourly rate | $22.36 | $48.37 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 8,585 | 46,924 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A generalist, also known as a human resource generalist, is responsible for overseeing the operations in a human resource department, focusing on employees' welfare and working conditions. They are primarily involved in the hiring and laying off processes among employees, handing training and benefits programs, and coordinating with every department in the company. Furthermore, a generalist must perform administrative tasks that mostly revolve around producing reports and processing paperwork, conducting research and analysis, and responding to correspondence.
A human resources director is responsible for managing the overall operations of the human resources department, ensuring smooth operations while meeting the company's goals of successful profitability and services. Human resources directors' duties include providing staff consultation, addressing staffing concerns, managing compensation and benefits plans, reviewing plans for training and development programs, and reporting future actions to the management. A human resources director must have excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills to help lead the business to its growth and development.
Generalists and directors of human resources have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Generalist | Director Of Human Resources | |
| Average salary | $46,518 | $100,601 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $72,000 | Between $68,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a generalist and a director of human resources in terms of educational background:
| Generalist | Director Of Human Resources | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between generalists' and directors of human resources' demographics:
| Generalist | Director Of Human Resources | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 18% |