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The differences between generalists and human resources leads 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 human resources lead. Additionally, a human resources lead has an average salary of $102,531, 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 human resources lead are project management, employee engagement, and customer service.
| Generalist | Human Resources Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $46,518 | $102,531 |
| Hourly rate | $22.36 | $49.29 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 8,585 | 48,122 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 Resource Leader is responsible for achieving set goals for the HR department. Their duties include implementing strategies as well as recruiting, training, and keeping highly skilled employees.
Generalists and human resources leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Generalist | Human Resources Lead | |
| Average salary | $46,518 | $102,531 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $72,000 | Between $63,000 And $165,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Meta | Mayer Brown |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a generalist and a human resources lead in terms of educational background:
| Generalist | Human Resources Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between generalists' and human resources leads' demographics:
| Generalist | Human Resources Lead | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% |
| 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% |