How To Become A Personnel Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a personnel manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Sandi Dornhecker

The average personnel manager salary is $51,570. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a personnel manager. Personnel managers with a Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 12,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a personnel manager?

Sandi Dornhecker

Vice President of Human Resources, Chicago Zoological Society

To always remain positive. The job market has been flooded with unemployed workers, so the competition may be much steeper than usual, although I've read some articles that say this may not be the case as the number of quality applicants in the workforce remains the same. If you haven't found a position in your desired career yet, take positions and work when and where you can. Give it your all while you are working, strive to excel in your performance, no matter what your job is, and be a dedicated worker while you are there. If one is looking for employment, take your time to review the job(s) and requirements of the positions you are applying for to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications and/or are able to speak to how your skills are transferable; don't just take a shotgun approach. Write a customized cover letter for each position you apply for that reflects how your knowledge, background, and skills apply to the position and why you are interested. Answer all on-line application questions honestly and thoroughly. Write a thank-you note, if you are granted an interview. When you start a new job, be a sponge. Learn as much as you can and be willing to go the extra mile. This is a unique year to start one's career, and a graduate can learn unique lessons in both positive and challenging experiences.

ScorePersonnel ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,570

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.71%

Black or African American 7.65%

Hispanic or Latino 11.14%

Unknown 5.09%

White 70.01%

Gender

female 50.65%

male 49.35%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a personnel manager

Explore personnel manager education requirements

Most common personnel manager degrees

Bachelor's

59.2 %

Associate

19.1 %

Master's

9.8 %

Start to develop specific personnel manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Disciplinary Procedures	10.81%
Human Resource Functions	4.96%
Workers Compensation	4.25%
Background Checks	4.16%
Professional Development	4.10%

Research personnel manager duties and responsibilities

Manage administrative wellness of a crew of 150 sailors.
Monitor and manage daily the Kronos timekeeping system for all employees.
Manage wage and salary administration and supervise payroll function.
Manage compliance review of FLSA classification and analyze headcount and turnover reports and provide recommendations to management regarding appropriate headcount actions.

Prepare your personnel manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your personnel manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a personnel manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable personnel manager resume templates

Build a professional personnel manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your personnel manager resume.

Apply for personnel manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a personnel manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do personnel managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Personnel manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Autonomy to address HR issues as I see fit. Ability to work with people in all areas of the company, in all roles and at all levels.

Cons

I'm the only HR person, so I don't have a team.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

It increase ones knowledge about information

Cons

Too task a times and need to do a lot of review

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

Being onsite can be like living on an island. Sometimes you don't feel like your part of you client and you don't feel like your part of the office. It can be lonely.

What is a personnel manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a personnel manager?

Personnel manager career paths

Key steps to become a personnel manager

Explore personnel manager education requirements

Most common personnel manager degrees

Start to develop specific personnel manager skills

Research personnel manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your personnel manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable personnel manager resume templates

Apply for personnel manager jobs

How did you land your first personnel manager job

Average personnel manager salary

How do personnel managers rate their job?

Personnel manager reviews