What is a Human Resources Specialist?
Job Description: Perform activities in the human resource area. Includes employment specialists who screen, recruit, interview, and place workers.
Life As a HR Specialist
- Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
- Perform searches for qualified job candidates, using sources such as computer databases, networking, Internet recruiting resources, media advertisements, job fairs, recruiting firms, or employee referrals.
- Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
- Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
- Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a HR Specialist?
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.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Types of HR Specialist Jobs
- Personnel Supervisor
- Staffing Associate
- Virtual Recruiter
- Employment Consultant
- Employment Security Officer
Job Opportunities for Human Resources Specialists
In the United States, there were 547,800 jobs for Human Resources Specialist in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 38,900 new jobs for Human Resources Specialist by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 57,600 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for HR Specialist are Utah, Washington, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Mississippi, Maine, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a HR Specialist
The typical yearly salary for Human Resources Specialists is somewhere between $36,270 and $104,390.
Human Resources Specialists who work in District of Columbia, Virginia, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.
How much do Human Resources Specialists make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,660 |
| Alaska | $71,160 |
| Arizona | $60,820 |
| Arkansas | $56,700 |
| California | $75,010 |
| Colorado | $69,420 |
| Connecticut | $70,280 |
| Delaware | $67,530 |
| District of Columbia | $93,880 |
| Florida | $58,600 |
| Georgia | $60,230 |
| Hawaii | $66,490 |
| Idaho | $62,240 |
| Illinois | $62,410 |
| Indiana | $56,140 |
| Iowa | $57,960 |
| Kansas | $60,970 |
| Kentucky | $57,000 |
| Louisiana | $55,610 |
| Maine | $58,980 |
| Maryland | $76,560 |
| Massachusetts | $75,700 |
| Michigan | $62,470 |
| Minnesota | $64,490 |
| Mississippi | $52,030 |
| Missouri | $62,790 |
| Montana | $53,980 |
| Nebraska | $58,720 |
| Nevada | $58,610 |
| New Hampshire | $63,960 |
| New Jersey | $75,360 |
| New Mexico | $61,300 |
| New York | $75,650 |
| North Carolina | $64,690 |
| North Dakota | $60,230 |
| Ohio | $62,790 |
| Oklahoma | $54,940 |
| Oregon | $62,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,370 |
| Rhode Island | $72,960 |
| South Carolina | $57,590 |
| South Dakota | $54,320 |
| Tennessee | $58,700 |
| Texas | $67,190 |
| Utah | $56,960 |
| Vermont | $59,200 |
| Virginia | $75,120 |
| Washington | $72,370 |
| West Virginia | $61,240 |
| Wisconsin | $61,180 |
| Wyoming | $57,360 |
What Tools & Technology do Human Resources Specialists Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Human Resources Specialists may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Dynamics
- SAS
- IBM Notes
Becoming a HR Specialist
What kind of Human Resources Specialist requirements are there?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Human Resources Specialists Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Human Resources Specialists employed by various industries.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Human Resources Specialist may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Human Resources Specialist in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Arunkumar Umapathy via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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