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The differences between human resources assistants and human resources generalists 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 resources generalist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a human resources generalist has an average salary of $56,159, 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 resources generalist are HRIS, performance management, and customer service.
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,498 | $56,159 |
| Hourly rate | $17.55 | $27.00 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 40,408 | 44,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 generalist is responsible for monitoring the human resources policies and procedures, making adjustments as needed to align with the company's goals and objectives. Duties of a human resources generalist also include improving employee relations system, organizing compliance and knowledge training, reviewing benefit plans, managing compensation inquiries, assisting in recruitment and staffing needs, communicating with department heads in employees' performance reviews, and storing employees' files for reference. A human resource generalist must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to address issues concerning the company and employees' welfare.
Human resources assistants and human resources generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Average salary | $36,498 | $56,159 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $41,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a human resources assistant and a human resources generalist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources assistants' and human resources generalists' demographics:
| Human Resources Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1% | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 9% |