How To Become A Human Resource Manager/Project Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a human resource manager/project manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Sandi Dornhecker

As a human resource manager/project manager, your primary role is to oversee all employment processes, HR practices, and employee training. You may also perform the role of a project manager as needed, which involves leading a team to achieve a project's specific goals accurately and on time.

The duties of a human resource manager/project manager vary greatly, but to help you imagine your typical workday with this job, the general duties for this role include developing HR strategies, delegating tasks, addressing employee concerns, managing departmental or project budgets, overseeing the hiring process and participating in the development of training procedures.

Before you can become a human resource manager/project manager, you must possess a degree in human resource management, business, or something similar. Also, you should have at least three to four years of industry experience to qualify for this managerial-level position.

On average, human resource managers/project managers take home around $91,000 a year. If you are interested in this career, you can find opportunities in any industry since every organization has an HR department.

What general advice would you give to a human resource manager/project manager?

Sandi Dornhecker

Vice President of Human Resources, Chicago Zoological Society

To always remain positive. The job market has been flooded with unemployed workers, so the competition may be much steeper than usual, although I've read some articles that say this may not be the case as the number of quality applicants in the workforce remains the same. If you haven't found a position in your desired career yet, take positions and work when and where you can. Give it your all while you are working, strive to excel in your performance, no matter what your job is, and be a dedicated worker while you are there. If one is looking for employment, take your time to review the job(s) and requirements of the positions you are applying for to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications and/or are able to speak to how your skills are transferable; don't just take a shotgun approach. Write a customized cover letter for each position you apply for that reflects how your knowledge, background, and skills apply to the position and why you are interested. Answer all on-line application questions honestly and thoroughly. Write a thank-you note, if you are granted an interview. When you start a new job, be a sponge. Learn as much as you can and be willing to go the extra mile. This is a unique year to start one's career, and a graduate can learn unique lessons in both positive and challenging experiences.

ScoreHuman Resource Manager/Project ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.1

Avg. Salary $90,331

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.71%

Black or African American 7.65%

Hispanic or Latino 11.14%

Unknown 5.09%

White 70.01%

Gender

female 66.38%

male 33.62%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a human resource manager/project manager

Explore human resource manager/project manager education requirements

Most common human resource manager/project manager degrees

Bachelor's

67.6 %

Master's

19.6 %

Associate

8.7 %

Start to develop specific human resource manager/project manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	25.17%
Process Improvement	7.41%
HRIS	5.81%
Payroll	5.68%
Status Reports	3.79%

Research human resource manager/project manager duties and responsibilities

Manage administrative responsibilities for a restaurant including payroll and accounts payable processing utilizing QuickBooks software.
Develop a process to ensure that the data in PeopleSoft stay current by creating and analyzing PeopleSoft reports.
Coordinate and run on site job fairs, resulting in eight full time hires using media ads and local flyers.
Support the complex decommissioning of PeopleSoft and other applications.

Prepare your human resource manager/project manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your human resource manager/project manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a human resource manager/project manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable human resource manager/project manager resume templates

Build a professional human resource manager/project manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your human resource manager/project manager resume.

Apply for human resource manager/project manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a human resource manager/project manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average human resource manager/project manager salary

The average human resource manager/project manager salary in the United States is $90,331 per year or $43 per hour. Human resource manager/project manager salaries range between $64,000 and $125,000 per year.

Average human resource manager/project manager salary

$90,331 Yearly

$43.43 hourly

How do human resource manager/project managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Human resource manager/project manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Pros

I like to work with a team. Satisfaction of seeing the successful completion of a project

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Helping people throughout the organization

Cons

Lack of control over certain areas of HR

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Autonomy to address HR issues as I see fit. Ability to work with people in all areas of the company, in all roles and at all levels.

Cons

I'm the only HR person, so I don't have a team.

What is a human resource manager/project manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a human resource manager/project manager?

Human resource manager/project manager career paths

Key steps to become a human resource manager/project manager

Explore human resource manager/project manager education requirements

Most common human resource manager/project manager degrees

Start to develop specific human resource manager/project manager skills

Research human resource manager/project manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your human resource manager/project manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable human resource manager/project manager resume templates

Apply for human resource manager/project manager jobs

How did you land your first human resource manager/project manager job

Average human resource manager/project manager salary

How do human resource manager/project managers rate their job?

Human resource manager/project manager reviews