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Human Resource Management

Types of Degrees Human Resource Management Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Human Resource Management can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	534
Associate’s Degree	1,065
Bachelor’s Degree	9,934
Master’s Degree	13,443
Doctor’s Degree	284

What Human Resource Management Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Human Resource Management develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Human Resource Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Human Resource Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Human Resource Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Human Resource Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Human Resource Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Human Resource Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Human Resource Management graduates include:

• HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator)
• Personnel Officer
• Recruiting Coordinator
• Job Development Specialist
• Training Supervisor
• Development Coordinator
• Development Associate
• HR Trainer (Human Resources Trainer)
• Personnel Manager
• Benefits Coordinator
• Industrial Relations Manager
• Compliance Analyst
• Compliance Coordinator
• Regulatory Compliance Specialist
• HR Admin Director (Human Resources Administration Director)

What Can You Do With a Human Resource Management Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Human Resource Management commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	11.9%	$57,361	$48,763–$65,960

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Human Resource Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.2%
Master’s degree	9.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.5%
Doctoral degree	5.1%
Some college courses	4.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.1%
First professional degree	3.4%
Postsecondary certificate	3.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Human Resource Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.4% of Human Resource Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	18,418	72.4%
Men	7,006	27.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Human Resource Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	11,860	46.6%
Asian	1,173	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	4,468	17.6%
Black or African American	4,566	18.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	153	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	79	0.3%
Two or More Races	893	3.5%
Race Unknown	1,329	5.2%
International Students	903	3.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Human Resource Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Human Resource Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$56,722
4 years	$57,321
5 years	$65,449

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,449 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Human Resource Management Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Human Resource Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	53	11
Bachelor’s	126	71
Master’s	160	57
Doctoral (Research)	10	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Human Resource Management Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Human Resource Management graduates earn a median of $57,321 four years after completion — roughly 51% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations	402,942
Accounting and Related Services	81,835
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	62,236
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Finance and Financial Management Services	57,564
Marketing	53,750
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	16,153
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	14,306
Hospitality Administration/Management	13,333
Management Information Systems and Services	12,092
Real Estate	7,906
International Business	6,933

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.