All About Human Resources Specialists

Occupation Description Perform activities in the human resource area. Includes employment specialists who screen, recruit, interview, and place workers.

Life As a HR Specialist

• Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
• Develop or implement recruiting strategies to meet current or anticipated staffing needs.
• Confer with management to develop or implement personnel policies or procedures.
• Schedule or conduct new employee orientations.
• Advise management on organizing, preparing, or implementing recruiting or retention programs.
• Schedule or administer skill, intelligence, psychological, or drug tests for current or prospective employees.

What a HR Specialist Should Know

These are the skills Human Resources Specialists say are the most useful in their careers:

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Other HR Specialist Job Titles

• Credentialing Coordinator
• Human Resources HR Representative (HR Representative)
• Human Resources Specialist (HR Specialist)
• Personnel Counselor
• Career Development Specialist

HR Specialist Job Outlook

In the United States, there were 547,800 jobs for Human Resources Specialists in 2016.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.1% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 38,900 new jobs for Human Resources Specialists by 2026. The BLS estimates 57,600 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Human Resources Specialists are Texas, California, and Florida.

Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Wyoming, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for Human Resources Specialists

The average yearly salary of a HR Specialist ranges between $36,270 and $104,390. A Human Resources Specialist median salary is $60,880.

How much do Human Resources Specialists make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
District of Columbia	$93,880
Maryland	$76,560
Massachusetts	$75,700
New York	$75,650
New Jersey	$75,360
Virginia	$75,120
California	$75,010
Rhode Island	$72,960
Washington	$72,370
Alaska	$71,160
Connecticut	$70,280
Colorado	$69,420
Delaware	$67,530
Pennsylvania	$67,370
Texas	$67,190
Hawaii	$66,490
North Carolina	$64,690
Minnesota	$64,490
New Hampshire	$63,960
Ohio	$62,790
Missouri	$62,790
Oregon	$62,640
Michigan	$62,470
Illinois	$62,410
Idaho	$62,240
New Mexico	$61,300
West Virginia	$61,240
Wisconsin	$61,180
Kansas	$60,970
Arizona	$60,820
Alabama	$60,660
Georgia	$60,230
North Dakota	$60,230
Vermont	$59,200
Maine	$58,980
Nebraska	$58,720
Tennessee	$58,700
Nevada	$58,610
Florida	$58,600
Iowa	$57,960
South Carolina	$57,590
Wyoming	$57,360
Kentucky	$57,000
Utah	$56,960
Arkansas	$56,700
Indiana	$56,140
Louisiana	$55,610
Oklahoma	$54,940
South Dakota	$54,320
Montana	$53,980
Mississippi	$52,030

What Tools & Technology do Human Resources Specialists Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Human Resources Specialists:

• IBM Cognos Impromptu
• Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
• Advanced business application programming ABAP
• Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud
• Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
• ESRI ArcGIS software
• Drupal
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Office
• Tableau

How to Become a HR Specialist

What education is needed to be a Human Resources Specialist?

What work experience do I need to become a HR Specialist?

Where Human Resources Specialists Are Employed

Similar Careers

Those interested in being a Human Resources Specialist may also be interested in:

• Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
• Municipal Clerks
• Talent Directors

Those who work as Human Resources Specialists sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

• Compensation and Benefits Managers
• Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons