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The differences between human resources clerks and senior human resources 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 clerk, becoming a senior human resources specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, which is higher than the $35,149 average annual salary of a human resources clerk.
The top three skills for a human resources clerk include data entry, customer service and background checks. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Resources Clerk | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,149 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $16.90 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 107,374 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A human resources clerk's role focuses on assisting in the hiring process within a company or organization. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around posting hiring notices on various platforms, handling job applications, arranging schedules and appointments for interviews, verifying requirements, and responding to calls and inquiries. Besides participating in the hiring process, a human resources clerk also has administrative duties such as maintaining employee information and records, producing progress reports, processing paperwork, and assisting newly hired employees. This is all done in adherence to a company's policies and regulations.
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 resources clerks and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Clerk | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,149 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Auburn, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New York |
| Best paying company | University of Massachusetts Boston | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources clerk and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Clerk | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources clerks' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Clerk | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 15% | 9% |