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The differences between senior human resources assistants and human resource 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 senior human resources assistant, becoming a human resource specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a human resource specialist has an average salary of $53,143, which is higher than the $39,874 average annual salary of a senior human resources assistant.
The top three skills for a senior human resources assistant include customer service, HRIS and process improvement. The most important skills for a human resource specialist are data entry, oversight, and life insurance.
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,874 | $53,143 |
| Hourly rate | $19.17 | $25.55 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 39,901 | 50,511 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Senior Human Resources Assistants are junior-level employees in the human resources department of an organization. They are usually in-charge of administrative or clerical activities of the department. They update records, manage documents, and ensure that all department-related information is kept confidential. They also handle tasks related to different facets of human resources such as recruitment, total rewards, or employee relations. They may be asked to lead specific activities or projects related to human resources facets as a way to train them for bigger roles.
A human resources specialist is responsible for assisting in the recruitment and staffing process. Duties of a human resources specialist include updating the requirements and qualifications of a job post, handling employees' inquiries regarding compensation and benefits, maintaining employees' records, updating the status of new joiners, tracking performance reviews, and generating reports as business requires. A human resource specialist must be detail-oriented, as well as excellent in organizational and communication skills. Additionally, a human resource specialist must have a broad knowledge of the recruitment process and structure.
Senior human resources assistants and human resource specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,874 | $53,143 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $36,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior human resources assistant and a human resource specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior human resources assistants' and human resource specialists' demographics:
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4% | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.0% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 9% |