Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 174,200 people employed as human resources managers in the United States. The median annual salary is $126,230. Entry level employees earn approximately $75,000 per year and senior employees earn approximately $208,000 (or more) per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
• Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
• Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
• Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
• Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
• Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
• Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
• Prepare personnel forecast to project employment needs.
• Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion, and employee benefits.
• Investigate and report on industrial accidents for insurance carriers.
• Administer compensation, benefits, and performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs.
• Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.
• Plan, organize, direct, control, or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an organization.
• Allocate human resources, ensuring appropriate matches between personnel.
• Oversee the evaluation, classification, and rating of occupations and job positions.
• Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
• Prepare and follow budgets for personnel operations.
• Conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for employee termination.
• Develop, administer, and evaluate applicant tests.
• Develop or administer special projects in areas such as pay equity, savings bond programs, day care, and employee awards.
• Contract with vendors to provide employee services, such as food service, transportation, or relocation service.
• Provide terminated employees with outplacement or relocation assistance.
• Analyze training needs to design employee development, language training, and health and safety programs.
• Study legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess industry trends.
• Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates.

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