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Human resources internship vs human resources assistant

The differences between human resources interns and human resources assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a human resources internship and a human resources assistant. Additionally, a human resources assistant has an average salary of $36,498, 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 resources assistant are customer service, payroll processing, and background checks.

Human resources internship vs human resources assistant overview

Human Resources InternshipHuman Resources Assistant
Yearly salary$32,702$36,498
Hourly rate$15.72$17.55
Growth rate--
Number of jobs88,82640,408
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4343
Years of experience22

What does a human resources internship do?

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.

What does a human resources assistant do?

Human resources (HR) assistants are responsible for various activities of the human resources department of the organization. This is usually an entry-level position for those who intend to build a career in human resources. Human resources assistants usually do administrative and clerical activities for the department. They are also exposed to various facets of HR, such as recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. They get trained to do different activities, and as time goes by, they get to have more significant responsibilities within the department.

Human resources internship vs human resources assistant salary

Human resources interns and human resources assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Human Resources InternshipHuman Resources Assistant
Average salary$32,702$36,498
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $42,000Between $27,000 And $48,000
Highest paying CityLacey, WAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew York
Best paying companyKLAPaul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between human resources internship and human resources assistant education

There are a few differences between a human resources internship and a human resources assistant in terms of educational background:

Human Resources InternshipHuman Resources Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Human resources internship vs human resources assistant demographics

Here are the differences between human resources interns' and human resources assistants' demographics:

Human Resources InternshipHuman Resources Assistant
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 29.3% Female, 70.7%Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage15%15%

Differences between human resources internship and human resources assistant duties and responsibilities

Human resources internship example responsibilities.

  • Manage the background process while maintaining the applicant tracking system (ICIMS).
  • Maintain and manage all confidential documents including offer letters, I9 documentation, vendor and equity agreements.
  • Integrate efforts on actions and programs where joint OPM functional effort are necessary to accomplish recruitment and enhance organizational effectiveness.
  • Ensure the completion of all new hire paperwork and entry into HRIS, timekeeping, and e-Verify systems.
  • Improve the presentation process by reformulating overhead projection slides to PowerPoint slides for orientation, open enrollment and other benefits information.
  • Assist in payroll process using KRONOS system.
  • Show more

Human resources assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage all candidate activity and conduct full life- cycle recruiting through an applicant tracking system (ATS).
  • Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
  • Operate TALEO software system for managing prospective and current employee application status and procedures
  • Manage short-term disability and FMLA claims; notified/educate employees of eligibility and qualification requirements.
  • Maximize efficiency of HRIS system by participating in initial design, managing ongoing system enhancements and streamlining reports.
  • Conduct compensation analyses, manage EEO compliance tracking activities and deliver presentations to corporate management regarding process improvement.
  • Show more

Human resources internship vs human resources assistant skills

Common human resources internship skills
  • Resources Intern, 13%
  • PowerPoint, 9%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Internship Program, 7%
  • HRIS, 6%
  • Payroll, 5%
Common human resources assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Payroll Processing, 8%
  • Background Checks, 8%
  • HRIS, 7%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • Assist Human Resources, 4%

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