Human resource specialist vs human resources supervisor

The differences between human resource specialists and human resources supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a human resources supervisor has an average salary of $64,757, 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 supervisor are customer service, state laws, and payroll processing.

Human resource specialist vs human resources supervisor overview

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Supervisor
Yearly salary	$53,143	$64,757
Hourly rate	$25.55	$31.13
Growth rate	8%	7%
Number of jobs	50,511	46,523
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	41	47
Years of experience	6	6

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 supervisor do?

A human resources supervisor is an individual responsible for developing and administering human resources programs so that the company can achieve efficient operations. Human resources supervisors coordinate all stages of the hiring process, such as checking all candidates' backgrounds, conducting interviews, and drug screening. They address conflicts among employees, investigate employee problems, and work with management to administer employee discipline or corrective action. The human resources supervisor also develops training and development programs for their salaried employees.

Human resource specialist vs human resources supervisor salary

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

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Supervisor
Average salary	$53,143	$64,757
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $77,000	Between $47,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Meta	Genentech
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between human resource specialist and human resources supervisor education

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

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Human resource specialist vs human resources supervisor demographics

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

	Human Resource Specialist	Human Resources Supervisor
Average age	41	47
Gender ratio	Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1%	Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
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%

Differences between human resource specialist and human resources supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage and lead service team initiatives/special projects (i.e., ADP conversion, corporate mergers, and teamwork events).
Manage HRIS database system and provide monthly reports to executive management.
Manage job-reclassification project, conducting occupational research to determine if job titles are synchronized with FLSA norms.
Utilize KRONOS and ADP to import and process payroll.
Review all exempt positions to determine classification and conduct audits to ensure FLSA compliance.
Maintain all company leave of absence (including work-relate injuries, non work-relate leaves and FMLA, etc .).

Human resource specialist vs human resources supervisor 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 supervisor skills

Customer Service, 22%
State Laws, 9%
Payroll Processing, 5%
Personnel Actions, 4%
HRIS, 4%
ISO, 3%

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Human Resource Specialist vs Human Resources Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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