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The differences between human resource specialists and generalists 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 specialist and a generalist. Additionally, a human resource specialist has an average salary of $53,143, which is higher than the $46,518 average annual salary of a generalist.
The top three skills for a human resource specialist include data entry, oversight and life insurance. The most important skills for a generalist are sales floor, store sales, and customer loyalty.
| Human Resource Specialist | Generalist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,143 | $46,518 |
| Hourly rate | $25.55 | $22.36 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 50,511 | 8,585 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
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.
Human resource specialists and generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resource Specialist | Generalist | |
| Average salary | $53,143 | $46,518 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $77,000 | Between $29,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resource specialist and a generalist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resource Specialist | Generalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between human resource specialists' and generalists' demographics:
| Human Resource Specialist | Generalist | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 18% |