Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between human resources associates and generalists 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 resources associate and a generalist. Additionally, a human resources associate has an average salary of $56,636, which is higher than the $46,518 average annual salary of a generalist.
The top three skills for a human resources associate include customer service, HRIS and I-9. The most important skills for a generalist are sales floor, store sales, and customer loyalty.
| Human Resources Associate | Generalist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,636 | $46,518 |
| Hourly rate | $27.23 | $22.36 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 43,496 | 8,585 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A human resources associate is responsible for supporting the human resources department's operations, updating employees' records within the organization's database, and managing the employees' inquiries and concerns by referencing the human resources policies. Human resources associates assist with staffing and recruitment processes, maintaining a timely job board, and filtering potential candidates' requirements and qualifications. They also respond to payments and benefits concerns and recommend employees' training and programs to maximize their potential, credibility, and productivity for daily operations and project management.
A generalist, also known as a human resource generalist, is responsible for overseeing the operations in a human resource department, focusing on employees' welfare and working conditions. They are primarily involved in the hiring and laying off processes among employees, handing training and benefits programs, and coordinating with every department in the company. Furthermore, a generalist must perform administrative tasks that mostly revolve around producing reports and processing paperwork, conducting research and analysis, and responding to correspondence.
Human resources associates and generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Associate | Generalist | |
| Average salary | $56,636 | $46,518 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $29,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Citi | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources associate and a generalist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Associate | Generalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between human resources associates' and generalists' demographics:
| Human Resources Associate | Generalist | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 56.6% 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% |