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The differences between human resources technicians and senior human resources 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 technician, becoming a senior human resources specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, which is higher than the $40,933 average annual salary of a human resources technician.
The top three skills for a human resources technician include human resources, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Human Resources Technician | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,933 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $19.68 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 39,846 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A human resources technician is primarily responsible for performing clerical support tasks in a human resources office. Their duty revolves around preparing and processing documentation, managing schedules, reviewing requirements and applications, participating in planning and executing HR projects and programs, and gathering information as necessary. They must also update and maintain a database, making sure everything is running smoothly. Should there be any issues or inquiries, it is crucial to address and resolve them right away. Furthermore, a human resources technician may participate in the hiring processes, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
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 technicians and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Resources Technician | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $40,933 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pennsauken, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a human resources technician and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Resources Technician | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human resources technicians' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Human Resources Technician | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.0% Female, 77.0% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 15% | 9% |