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The differences between human resource officers and human resources assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a human resource officer, becoming a human resources assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a human resource officer has an average salary of $89,540, which is higher than the $36,498 average annual salary of a human resources assistant.
The top three skills for a human resource officer include human resources functions, performance management and personnel actions. The most important skills for a human resources assistant are customer service, payroll processing, and background checks.
| Human Resource Officer | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $89,540 | $36,498 |
| Hourly rate | $43.05 | $17.55 |
| Growth rate | 7% | - |
| Number of jobs | 101,221 | 40,408 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A human resources officer is typically in charge of managing and handling the employment operations in the company, including the payroll and training systems. Their responsibilities revolve around participating in advertising job openings, interviewing applicants, training and managing new employees, and devising programs that will help them learn about the policies and regulations of the company. Furthermore, a human resources officer is also responsible for managing employee data, such as personal information and work attendance, processing payroll, and handling any issues or concerns.
Human resources (HR) assistants are responsible for various activities of the human resources department of the organization. This is usually an entry-level position for those who intend to build a career in human resources. Human resources assistants usually do administrative and clerical activities for the department. They are also exposed to various facets of HR, such as recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. They get trained to do different activities, and as time goes by, they get to have more significant responsibilities within the department.
Human resource officers and human resources assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resource Officer | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Average salary | $89,540 | $36,498 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $135,000 | Between $27,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | Signature Healthcare | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a human resource officer and a human resources assistant in terms of educational background:
| Human Resource Officer | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resource officers' and human resources assistants' demographics:
| Human Resource Officer | Human Resources Assistant | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7% | Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 15% |