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The differences between human factors specialists and senior human resources specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a human factors specialist and a senior human resources specialist. Additionally, a human factors specialist has an average salary of $80,877, which is higher than the $63,956 average annual salary of a senior human resources specialist.
The top three skills for a human factors specialist include user research, user interface and industrial design. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Factors Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $80,877 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $38.88 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 40,805 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A human factors specialist may also be known as an ergonomist. They work with organizations that train staff, as well as with aeronautical engineers and civil aviation regulators. They are responsible for conducting studies, carrying out evaluations and tests, and researching important information about a product or service. They must be skilled in the art of studying human behavior in different contexts and apply that skill to design objects and facilities that better human well-being and overall system performance.
A senior human resources specialist is responsible for monitoring the human resources operations of an organization, managing employment processes and policies, and handling staffing needs and concerns. Senior human resources specialists design training and programs to maintain staff's efficiency and maximize the employees' productivity to support business functional operations. They also coordinate with management leaders to identify their hiring needs, evaluating their specifications for recruitment. A senior human resources specialist reviews the company's policies and guidelines regularly, adjusting procedures according to state regulations and business requirements.
Human factors specialists and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Factors Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $80,877 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $116,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human factors specialist and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Factors Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human factors specialists' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Factors Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 9.1% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |