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The differences between human resources interns and human resource specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a human resources internship, becoming a human resource specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a human resource specialist has an average salary of $53,143, which is higher than the $32,702 average annual salary of a human resources internship.
The top three skills for a human resources internship include resources intern, powerpoint and customer service. The most important skills for a human resource specialist are data entry, oversight, and life insurance.
| Human Resources Internship | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,702 | $53,143 |
| Hourly rate | $15.72 | $25.55 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 88,826 | 50,511 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A human resources intern is responsible for assisting the human resources department in daily operations under a direct supervisor. Duties of a human resources intern include reviewing job postings and qualifications, updating employees' information in the database, scheduling candidate interviews, responding to employees' concerns, processing payroll disputes, and reiterating the company's policies and procedures. A human resources intern must be detail-oriented and a fast-learner and display excellent communication and organizational skills to be familiarized with the management operations.
A human resources specialist is responsible for assisting in the recruitment and staffing process. Duties of a human resources specialist include updating the requirements and qualifications of a job post, handling employees' inquiries regarding compensation and benefits, maintaining employees' records, updating the status of new joiners, tracking performance reviews, and generating reports as business requires. A human resource specialist must be detail-oriented, as well as excellent in organizational and communication skills. Additionally, a human resource specialist must have a broad knowledge of the recruitment process and structure.
Human resources interns and human resource specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Internship | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,702 | $53,143 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $42,000 | Between $36,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lacey, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | KLA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a human resources internship and a human resource specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Internship | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources interns' and human resource specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Internship | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 9% |