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The differences between human resources generalists and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a human resources generalist, becoming an assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a human resources generalist has an average salary of $56,159, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.
The top three skills for a human resources generalist include HRIS, performance management and customer service. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Human Resources Generalist | Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $56,159 | $37,363 |
| Hourly rate | $27.00 | $17.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 44,365 | 557,900 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 41 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
Human resources generalists and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Generalist | Assistant | |
| Average salary | $56,159 | $37,363 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $16,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a human resources generalist and an assistant in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Generalist | Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between human resources generalists' and assistants' demographics:
| Human Resources Generalist | Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |