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The differences between human resources 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 manager and a senior human resources specialist. Additionally, a human resources manager has an average salary of $80,442, which is higher than the $63,956 average annual salary of a senior human resources specialist.
The top three skills for a human resources manager include performance management, customer service and payroll processing. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Resources Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $80,442 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $38.67 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 43,453 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.67 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| 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 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 managers and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $80,442 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $113,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources manager and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources managers' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Manager | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% | 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% |