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The differences between human resources managers and generalists 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 manager and a generalist. Additionally, a human resources manager has an average salary of $80,442, which is higher than the $46,518 average annual salary of a generalist.
The top three skills for a human resources manager include performance management, customer service and payroll processing. The most important skills for a generalist are sales floor, store sales, and customer loyalty.
| Human Resources Manager | Generalist | |
| Yearly salary | $80,442 | $46,518 |
| Hourly rate | $38.67 | $22.36 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 43,453 | 8,585 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.67 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Human resources managers, or HR managers, are responsible for the overall conduct of the different facets of human resources in the organization. They oversee the different processes involved in recruitment, compensation and benefits, talent development, organizational development, employee relations, and employee engagement. It is important that HR managers are well-versed in the different facets of HR. They set policies and procedures, as well as guiding principles of the organization related to these facets. They must be able to balance the needs of the employees and the rules of the management team. HR managers should have strong decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and management skills.
A generalist, also known as a human resource generalist, is responsible for overseeing the operations in a human resource department, focusing on employees' welfare and working conditions. They are primarily involved in the hiring and laying off processes among employees, handing training and benefits programs, and coordinating with every department in the company. Furthermore, a generalist must perform administrative tasks that mostly revolve around producing reports and processing paperwork, conducting research and analysis, and responding to correspondence.
Human resources managers and generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Manager | Generalist | |
| Average salary | $80,442 | $46,518 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $113,000 | Between $29,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources manager and a generalist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Manager | Generalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between human resources managers' and generalists' demographics:
| Human Resources Manager | Generalist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| 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, 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 | 18% | 18% |