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The differences between human resources generalist/managers 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/manager and a senior human resources specialist. Additionally, a human resources generalist/manager has an average salary of $77,353, which is higher than the $63,956 average annual salary of a senior human resources specialist.
The top three skills for a human resources generalist/manager include payroll processing, performance management and HRIS. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,353 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $37.19 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 46,682 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A human resource (HR) generalist performs a variety of HR functions and duties. These include recruiting and interviewing job applicants, conducting background checks and verifying employee eligibility, and implementing new employee orientation and recognition programs. In addition, you will be responsible for administering and executing HR programs, including benefits, disputes and investigations, and compensation. As an HR generalist, you are expected to provide answers to inquiries from applicants, employees, and managers. You are also expected to maintain compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws.
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 generalist/managers and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,353 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $107,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources generalist/manager and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources generalist/managers' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 18% | 9% |