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The differences between generalists and resource managers 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 resource manager. Additionally, a resource manager has an average salary of $77,116, 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 resource manager are customer service, resource management, and project management.
| Generalist | Resource Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $46,518 | $77,116 |
| Hourly rate | $22.36 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 8,585 | 31,477 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 resource manager's role is to provide the staffing needs of different projects, programs, and departments while coordinating with managers and supervisors. They are responsible for monitoring an employee's performance and payroll data, recommending available staff to join projects and programs, maintaining documentation and records of all transactions, and hire new staff as needed. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Generalists and resource managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Generalist | Resource Manager | |
| Average salary | $46,518 | $77,116 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $72,000 | Between $54,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a generalist and a resource manager in terms of educational background:
| Generalist | Resource Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between generalists' and resource managers' demographics:
| Generalist | Resource Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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% |