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The differences between human resources generalists and human resources recruiters 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 generalist and a human resources recruiter. Additionally, a human resources generalist has an average salary of $56,159, which is higher than the $47,549 average annual salary of a human resources recruiter.
The top three skills for a human resources generalist include HRIS, performance management and customer service. The most important skills for a human resources recruiter are customer service, HRIS, and applicant tracking systems.
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Recruiter | |
| Yearly salary | $56,159 | $47,549 |
| Hourly rate | $27.00 | $22.86 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 44,365 | 73,383 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A human resources recruiter is responsible for sourcing potential candidates on filling in organizational roles to support business operations and maintain efficiency on project deliverables. Human resources recruiters work closely with every department's head to analyze their qualifications and posting the job requirement on the company's job board and other communication platforms. They screen applicants, conduct background checks, provide timely updates of the application progress, and inform the successful candidate of the job's compensation and benefits. The human resources recruiter also assists with recruitment events and maintain an organized hiring process.
Human resources generalists and human resources recruiters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Recruiter | |
| Average salary | $56,159 | $47,549 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $33,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources generalist and a human resources recruiter in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Recruiter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources generalists' and human resources recruiters' demographics:
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Recruiter | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% | Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 7.8% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |