Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior human resources assistants 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 senior human resources assistant, 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 $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 senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,874 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $19.17 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 39,901 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 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.
Senior human resources assistants and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,874 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior human resources assistant and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior human resources assistants' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Senior Human Resources Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| 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, 11.6% 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% |