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The differences between human resources managers and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a human resources manager, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a human resources manager has an average salary of $80,442, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a human resources manager include performance management, customer service and payroll processing. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Human Resources Manager | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $80,442 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $38.67 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 43,453 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.67 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Human resources managers and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Manager | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $80,442 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $113,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a human resources manager and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Manager | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between human resources managers' and specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Manager | Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 11% |