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The differences between human resources assistants and human resource specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a human resources assistant, becoming a human resource specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a human resource specialist has an average salary of $53,143, which is higher than the $36,498 average annual salary of a human resources assistant.
The top three skills for a human resources assistant include customer service, payroll processing and background checks. The most important skills for a human resource specialist are data entry, oversight, and life insurance.
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,498 | $53,143 |
| Hourly rate | $17.55 | $25.55 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 40,408 | 50,511 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Human resources (HR) assistants are responsible for various activities of the human resources department of the organization. This is usually an entry-level position for those who intend to build a career in human resources. Human resources assistants usually do administrative and clerical activities for the department. They are also exposed to various facets of HR, such as recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. They get trained to do different activities, and as time goes by, they get to have more significant responsibilities within the department.
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 assistants and human resource specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average salary | $36,498 | $53,143 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $36,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a human resources assistant and a human resource specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources assistants' and human resource specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1% | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 9% |