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HR Specialist

$75,940
median / year
$47,180 – $128,720
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Recruit, screen, and hire workers, and handle pay, benefits, and employee questions.

You may also see this posted as: HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator), HR Generalist (Human Resources Generalist), Human Resources Specialist (HR Specialist), Recruiter, Corporate Recruiter, Employment Representative.

Where you work

Offices or remote; at a desk, plenty of meetings and interviews.

The hours

Usually full-time; regular hours.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
  • Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
  • Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
  • Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.

Good fit if you like…

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

DependabilityIntegrityCooperationAttention to Detail

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Applicant tracking softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointOracle HRIS

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$75,940
per year
Hourly median
$36.51
per hour
What most earn
$47,180–$128,720
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~81,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+6.2%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
912,430
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 0.5% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: A degree — many majors accepted.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required; professional certifications can help advancement.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

CommunicationOrganizationDecision makingDiscretion

The honest take

Every company above 50 people hires one.

Standard Occupational Classification 13-1071. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.