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The differences between human resource specialists and senior human resources specialists 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 senior human resources specialist. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, 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 senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Resource Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,143 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $25.55 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 50,511 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| 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 senior human resources specialist is responsible for monitoring the human resources operations of an organization, managing employment processes and policies, and handling staffing needs and concerns. Senior human resources specialists design training and programs to maintain staff's efficiency and maximize the employees' productivity to support business functional operations. They also coordinate with management leaders to identify their hiring needs, evaluating their specifications for recruitment. A senior human resources specialist reviews the company's policies and guidelines regularly, adjusting procedures according to state regulations and business requirements.
Human resource specialists and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resource Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $53,143 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $77,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resource specialist and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resource Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resource specialists' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Resource Specialist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |