Human resource advisor vs human resource specialist

The differences between human resource advisors and human resource 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 resource advisor and a human resource specialist. Additionally, a human resource advisor has an average salary of $78,852, which is higher than the $53,143 average annual salary of a human resource specialist.

The top three skills for a human resource advisor include customer service, performance management and payroll. The most important skills for a human resource specialist are data entry, oversight, and life insurance.

Human resource advisor vs human resource specialist overview

	Human Resource Advisor	Human Resource Specialist
Yearly salary	$78,852	$53,143
Hourly rate	$37.91	$25.55
Growth rate	7%	8%
Number of jobs	84,607	50,511
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	47	41
Years of experience	6	6

What does a human resource advisor do?

Human resource (HR) advisors are responsible for delivering a wide range of HR services. They advise employers and clients about hiring new employees and the overall HR policies. They often function as consultants who aim to improve HR processes and employee relations and promote employee development. Other duties include collaborating with management in implementing organizational changes, creating reports on HR practices and strategies, and resolving conflicts between the management and employees. HR advisors are also responsible for ensuring compliance with organizational values and objectives.

What does a human resource specialist do?

A human resources specialist is responsible for assisting in the recruitment and staffing process. Duties of a human resources specialist include updating the requirements and qualifications of a job post, handling employees' inquiries regarding compensation and benefits, maintaining employees' records, updating the status of new joiners, tracking performance reviews, and generating reports as business requires. A human resource specialist must be detail-oriented, as well as excellent in organizational and communication skills. Additionally, a human resource specialist must have a broad knowledge of the recruitment process and structure.

Human resource advisor vs human resource specialist salary

Human resource advisors and human resource specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Human Resource Advisor	Human Resource Specialist
Average salary	$78,852	$53,143
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $113,000	Between $36,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	BP America Inc	Meta
Best paying industry	Energy	Government

Differences between human resource advisor and human resource specialist education

There are a few differences between a human resource advisor and a human resource specialist in terms of educational background:

	Human Resource Advisor	Human Resource Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Pennsylvania

Human resource advisor vs human resource specialist demographics

Here are the differences between human resource advisors' and human resource specialists' demographics:

	Human Resource Advisor	Human Resource Specialist
Average age	47	41
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	18%	9%

Differences between human resource advisor and human resource specialist duties and responsibilities

Human resource advisor example responsibilities.

Manage the selection of AvalonBay's HRMS ERP vendor.
Manage the sourcing and procurement of vendors through the RFI and RFP process.
Lead the preparation and investigation of EEO charges, unemployment claims, and other employee complaints and concerns.
Coach management team to achieve AAP goals and to promote positive employee relations through internal or external candidate selection.
Lead corporate-wide FLSA and compensation job audits, create U.S. and European salary schedules, and provide related management training.
Manage communications for P2L via SharePoint and executive messaging channels.

Human resource specialist example responsibilities.

Manage site KRONOS payroll, time and attendance, and vacation tracking for hourly.
Manage new hire and current employee paperwork that includes status change forms, W-4s, I-9s, etc.
Lead a compliance initiative to ensure successful transition to the e-Verify employment verification process.
Integrate efforts on actions and programs where joint OPM functional effort are necessary to accomplish recruitment and enhance organizational effectiveness.
Advise, coach, and counsele managers and Sr.
Assist with affirmative action reporting, VETS100 and EEO-1 submission.

Human resource advisor vs human resource specialist skills

Common human resource advisor skills

Customer Service, 12%
Performance Management, 10%
Payroll, 6%
Employee Engagement, 5%
HRIS, 5%
EEO, 5%

Common human resource specialist skills

Data Entry, 10%
Oversight, 9%
Life Insurance, 9%
Human Resources Policies, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Timekeeping, 5%

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Human Resource Advisor
Human Resource Advisor vs Human Resource Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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