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The differences between human resources generalists and senior human resources specialists 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 senior human resources specialist. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, 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 senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Resources Generalist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,159 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $27.00 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 44,365 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 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 generalists and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Generalist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $56,159 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources generalist and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Generalist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | 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 generalists' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Generalist | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| 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, 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 | 9% | 9% |