Personnel administrator vs human resources manager

The differences between personnel administrators and human resources managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a personnel administrator and a human resources manager. Additionally, a human resources manager has an average salary of $80,442, which is higher than the $40,005 average annual salary of a personnel administrator.

The top three skills for a personnel administrator include word processing, life insurance and office equipment. The most important skills for a human resources manager are performance management, customer service, and payroll processing.

Personnel administrator vs human resources manager overview

	Personnel Administrator	Human Resources Manager
Yearly salary	$40,005	$80,442
Hourly rate	$19.23	$38.67
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	51,272	43,453
Job satisfaction	-	4.67
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a personnel administrator do?

Personnel administrators are professionals who are responsible for performing administrative duties related to maintaining personnel records and documents for an organization. These administrators are required to ensure accurate records of personnel files as well as efficient access by other staff members. They must maintain a relationship with the human resources and operations management to keep informed about the current and future hiring needs. Personnel administrators must also administer workers' compensation while establishing a safety counseling program to maintain morale among workers.

What does a human resources manager do?

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.

Personnel administrator vs human resources manager salary

Personnel administrators and human resources managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Personnel Administrator	Human Resources Manager
Average salary	$40,005	$80,442
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $53,000	Between $56,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Bain & Company
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between personnel administrator and human resources manager education

There are a few differences between a personnel administrator and a human resources manager in terms of educational background:

	Personnel Administrator	Human Resources Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Personnel administrator vs human resources manager demographics

Here are the differences between personnel administrators' and human resources managers' demographics:

	Personnel Administrator	Human Resources Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 39.8% Female, 60.2%	Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3%
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, 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%

Differences between personnel administrator and human resources manager duties and responsibilities

Personnel administrator example responsibilities.

Manage corporate affirmative action plan and enforce EEO policies/programs.
Establish operating policies and procedures and attain SNF Medicare certification.
Maintain FMLA documentation and records for employees.
Used spreadsheets, PowerPoint, or text documents.
Compile wages and deductions, and enter data into a HRIS.
Investigate and propose formal HRIS solution to ease ability of compliance and reporting.

Human resources manager example responsibilities.

Manage audit efforts to ensure compliance with OFCCP and EEOC standards
Manage requisitions, rout candidates and determine the disposition of each candidate using iCIMS.
Manage all monthly and quarterly financial statement reviews by board as well as A/R, A/P and general ledger.
Manage, implement, and administer proper hiring process to reduce turnover in compliance with e-verify processes and federal law.
Manage and publish several cost-savings models for Sr. level management.
Manage system upgrades, testing and documentation of enterprise-wide PeopleSoft Payroll/HRMS system.

Personnel administrator vs human resources manager skills

Common personnel administrator skills

Word Processing, 19%
Life Insurance, 19%
Office Equipment, 19%
Photocopiers, 16%
Travel Arrangements, 14%
Human Resources, 2%

Common human resources manager skills

Performance Management, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Payroll Processing, 5%
HRIS, 5%
Employee Engagement, 5%
EEO, 4%

Personnel Administrator vs. similar jobs

Personnel Administrator related careers

Personnel Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Personnel Administrator
Personnel Administrator vs Human Resources Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs