Human resource specialist vs human resources clerk

The differences between human resource specialists and human resources clerks 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 specialist, becoming a human resources clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a human resource specialist has an average salary of $53,143, which is higher than the $35,149 average annual salary of a human resources clerk.

The top three skills for a human resource specialist include data entry, oversight and life insurance. The most important skills for a human resources clerk are data entry, customer service, and background checks.

Human resource specialist vs human resources clerk overview

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Clerk
Yearly salary	$53,143	$35,149
Hourly rate	$25.55	$16.90
Growth rate	8%	-
Number of jobs	50,511	107,374
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	41	43
Years of experience	6	2

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.

What does a human resources clerk do?

A human resources clerk's role focuses on assisting in the hiring process within a company or organization. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around posting hiring notices on various platforms, handling job applications, arranging schedules and appointments for interviews, verifying requirements, and responding to calls and inquiries. Besides participating in the hiring process, a human resources clerk also has administrative duties such as maintaining employee information and records, producing progress reports, processing paperwork, and assisting newly hired employees. This is all done in adherence to a company's policies and regulations.

Human resource specialist vs human resources clerk salary

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

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Clerk
Average salary	$53,143	$35,149
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $77,000	Between $27,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Auburn, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Oregon
Best paying company	Meta	University of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between human resource specialist and human resources clerk education

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

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Human resource specialist vs human resources clerk demographics

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

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Clerk
Average age	41	43
Gender ratio	Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1%	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	15%

Differences between human resource specialist and human resources clerk duties and responsibilities

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 resources clerk example responsibilities.

Manage mail, postage, bank deposits and FedEx runs, etc.
Manage timesheets for payroll, account for all employees, and enter information into QuickBooks.
Operate TALEO software system for managing prospective and current employee application status and procedures
Enter all payroll/timekeeping information into payroll system, including leave slips for vacations, flex time, bereavement and/or FMLA.
Utilize the Kronos system to retrieve time bank information, alter hours for correction, verify accurate processing.
Track all 2nd and 3rd shift attendance by running reports in Kronos and transferring attendance data into PeopleSoft.

Human resource specialist vs human resources clerk skills

Common human resource specialist skills

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

Common human resources clerk skills

Data Entry, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Background Checks, 7%
I-9, 5%
HRIS, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

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Human Resource Specialist vs Human Resources Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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