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The differences between human resource specialists and human resources managers 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 human resources manager. Additionally, a human resources manager has an average salary of $80,442, which is higher than the $53,143 average annual salary of a human resource specialist.
The top three skills for a human resource specialist include data entry, oversight and life insurance. The most important skills for a human resources manager are performance management, customer service, and payroll processing.
| Human Resource Specialist | Human Resources Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $53,143 | $80,442 |
| Hourly rate | $25.55 | $38.67 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 50,511 | 43,453 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.67 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Human resources managers, or HR managers, are responsible for the overall conduct of the different facets of human resources in the organization. They oversee the different processes involved in recruitment, compensation and benefits, talent development, organizational development, employee relations, and employee engagement. It is important that HR managers are well-versed in the different facets of HR. They set policies and procedures, as well as guiding principles of the organization related to these facets. They must be able to balance the needs of the employees and the rules of the management team. HR managers should have strong decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and management skills.
Human resource specialists and human resources managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resource Specialist | Human Resources Manager | |
| Average salary | $53,143 | $80,442 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $77,000 | Between $56,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Bain & Company |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a human resource specialist and a human resources manager in terms of educational background:
| Human Resource Specialist | Human Resources Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between human resource specialists' and human resources managers' demographics:
| Human Resource Specialist | Human Resources Manager | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% |
| 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% |