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The differences between human resources generalists and human resources supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a human resources supervisor has an average salary of $64,757, which is higher than the $56,159 average annual salary of a human resources generalist.
The top three skills for a human resources generalist include HRIS, performance management and customer service. The most important skills for a human resources supervisor are customer service, state laws, and payroll processing.
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $56,159 | $64,757 |
| Hourly rate | $27.00 | $31.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 44,365 | 46,523 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| 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 supervisor is an individual responsible for developing and administering human resources programs so that the company can achieve efficient operations. Human resources supervisors coordinate all stages of the hiring process, such as checking all candidates' backgrounds, conducting interviews, and drug screening. They address conflicts among employees, investigate employee problems, and work with management to administer employee discipline or corrective action. The human resources supervisor also develops training and development programs for their salaried employees.
Human resources generalists and human resources supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $56,159 | $64,757 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $47,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a human resources generalist and a human resources supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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 supervisors' demographics:
| Human Resources Generalist | Human Resources Supervisor | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% |
| 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, 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% |