Human resource specialist Job Overview
Organizations need people to handle operations such as hiring new employees, making arrangements for training and developing employees, handling salary issues and helping make strategic decisions. All these jobs in an organization are performed by a human resource specialist.
Human resource specialist Schools and Degrees
Organizations usually look for people with a degree in human resource and industrial relations management for this profession. Others look for people with a background in liberal education or technical/business education. There are many colleges and universities that provide degree courses in human resource, labor relations and personnel management. Human resource specialists may take courses in compensation, performance appraisal, training and development. Education in labor economics, labor law and industrial psychology are also important for human resource specialists.
Job Requirements
Previous experience in the field is a valuable asset for human resource specialists. Human resource specialists also need to be skilled in selling, supervising, handling computers and teaching.
Designation in three areas– compensation, retirement and group benefit is given by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits to candidates who have finished specific college level courses. Candidates can then become Certified Employee Benefits Specialist. Professional certifications in the field of performance and learning are offered by the American Society for Training and Development. Two levels of certification are also offered by the society of Human Resource Management- the Professional in Human Resources and the Senior Professional in Human Resources.
Human resource specialists need to be effective communicators and have excellent management skills. The nature of their job requires them to interact with and deal with a diverse range of people. They need to be able to handle pressure and deal with difficult and controversial situations and people.
Nature of Work
Human resource specialists usually work in an office. However, recruiters have to travel extensively to attend recruitment drives at campuses, attend meetings, to interview possible recruits.
Human resource specialists Jobs and Outlook
According to research in 2006, human research specialists held about 800,000 jobs in the US. Almost every sector has a human resource specialist and the overall employment is projected to grow around 17% in the next decade.
The average annual salary for human resource specialists is around $74,000.
Job Numbers and Growth If you add up all the human resource specialists in the country you get a total of about 214,000. There has been a low unemployment rate for workers. An unfortunate 3% of employees were without jobs in 2008. Area Job Conditions Human resource specialists appear most common in Olympia (Washington), Decatur (Illinois), and Danville (Illinois), and least common in Houma (Louisiana), Amarillo (Texas), and McAllen (Texas). Bloomington (Illinois), San Francisco (California), and Washington (District of Columbia) offer the highest pay. Appleton (Wisconsin), Kokomo (Indiana), and Janesville (Wisconsin) offer the lowest salaries. Training and Education A bachelor's degree is often necessary for working in the field. About 56% of human resource specialists have earned a degree. Some college, below a 4-year degree, is sufficient for 30% of workers. Employees with only a high school education represent about 14% of all. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career. Part-Time Work and Self-Employment Government statistics report that 8% of human resource specialists are employed part-time. Workers who work for themselves total about 2%.
Human Resource Specialists by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings) In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation. Alabama | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anniston | $44,000 | 40 | -43% | | Auburn | $54,000 | 60 | -10% | | Birmingham | $51,000 | 1,030 | +16% | | Decatur | $41,000 | 60 | -26% | | Dothan | $57,000 | 50 | -45% | | Florence | $57,000 | 90 | +19% | | Huntsville | $67,000 | 560 | +63% | | Mobile | $48,000 | 200 | -33% | | Montgomery | $51,000 | 300 | +7% | | Tuscaloosa | $57,000 | 80 | -43% |
Alaska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anchorage | $63,000 | 230 | -12% | | Fairbanks | $51,000 | 80 | +72% |
Arizona | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Flagstaff | $54,000 | 30 | -64% | | Phoenix | $52,000 | 1,900 | -41% | | Tucson | $53,000 | 370 | -40% | | Yuma | $53,000 | 30 | -67% |
Arkansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Fayetteville | $56,000 | 210 | -36% | | Fort Smith | $45,000 | 50 | -73% | | Little Rock | $55,000 | 310 | -46% | | Pine Bluff | $43,000 | 60 | +26% |
California | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bakersfield | $57,000 | 310 | -30% | | El Centro | $51,000 | 30 | -61% | | Fresno | $63,000 | 390 | -30% | | Hanford | $69,000 | 50 | +23% | | Merced | $62,000 | 40 | -54% | | Modesto | $54,000 | 200 | -25% | | Napa | $60,000 | 50 | -49% | | Oakland | $75,000 | 2,550 | +45% | | Oxnard | $66,000 | 360 | -28% | | Redding | $54,000 | 100 | -2% | | Riverside | $72,000 | 1,720 | -21% | | Sacramento | $65,000 | 2,150 | +42% | | Salinas | $59,000 | 170 | -32% | | San Diego | $56,000 | 3,750 | +64% | | San Francisco | $81,000 | 2,470 | +44% | | San Jose | $78,000 | 2,130 | +35% | | San Luis Obispo | $66,000 | 80 | -49% | | Santa Barbara | $63,000 | 220 | -20% | | Santa Cruz | $59,000 | 90 | -34% | | Santa Rosa | $71,000 | 240 | -21% | | Stockton | $57,000 | 280 | -21% | | Vallejo | $84,000 | 220 | +12% | | Visalia | $54,000 | 100 | -54% | | Yuba City | $56,000 | 40 | -29% |
Colorado | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boulder | $75,000 | 160 | -39% | | Colorado Springs | $57,000 | 400 | -4% | | Denver | $68,000 | 1,900 | -11% | | Fort Collins | $69,000 | 90 | -53% | | Grand Junction | $49,000 | 30 | -65% | | Greeley | $56,000 | 70 | -39% | | Pueblo | $54,000 | 80 | 0% |
Connecticut | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bridgeport | $71,000 | 470 | -36% | | Danbury | $59,000 | 40 | -63% | | Hartford | $70,000 | 870 | -12% | | New Haven | $58,000 | 240 | -49% | | Norwich | $56,000 | 130 | -35% | | Waterbury | $56,000 | 50 | -52% |
Delaware | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Dover | $55,000 | 170 | +107% | | Wilmington | $63,000 | 440 | -20% |
District of Columbia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Washington | $80,000 | 9,550 | +140% |
Florida | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Cape Coral | $54,000 | 320 | -8% | | Deltona | $51,000 | 170 | -33% | | Fort Lauderdale | $55,000 | 1,310 | +5% | | Fort Walton Beach | $60,000 | 170 | +45% | | Gainesville | $54,000 | 210 | +15% | | Jacksonville | $54,000 | 1,000 | -3% | | Lakeland | $53,000 | 190 | -41% | | Miami | $63,000 | 1,930 | +14% | | Naples | $54,000 | 110 | -43% | | Ocala | $50,000 | 130 | -13% | | Orlando | $55,000 | 2,320 | +29% | | Palm Bay | $55,000 | 380 | +18% | | Panama City | $51,000 | 100 | -5% | | Pensacola | $49,000 | 240 | -1% | | Port St Lucie | $49,000 | 140 | -31% | | Punta Gorda | $55,000 | 60 | +5% | | Sarasota | $49,000 | 350 | -20% | | Sebastian | $58,000 | 40 | -44% | | Tallahassee | $58,000 | 510 | +92% | | Tampa | $54,000 | 2,090 | +0% | | West Palm Beach | $57,000 | 930 | +2% |
Georgia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Athens | $52,000 | 60 | -48% | | Atlanta | $65,000 | 2,990 | -27% | | Augusta | $57,000 | 190 | -44% | | Brunswick | $72,000 | 50 | -19% | | Columbus | $58,000 | 160 | -8% | | Gainesville | $61,000 | 40 | -63% | | Macon | $54,000 | 80 | -49% | | Savannah | $53,000 | 80 | -67% | | Valdosta | $50,000 | 40 | -52% | | Warner Robins | $61,000 | 230 | +211% |
Hawaii | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Honolulu | $60,000 | 480 | -35% |
Idaho | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boise | $54,000 | 300 | -33% | | Idaho Falls | $59,000 | 30 | -57% |
Illinois | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bloomington | $73,000 | 90 | -17% | | Champaign | $51,000 | 180 | +22% | | Chicago | $55,000 | 6,670 | +2% | | Danville | $31,000 | 120 | +238% | | Decatur | $66,000 | 240 | +247% | | Peoria | $60,000 | 150 | -46% | | Rockford | $41,000 | 300 | +21% | | Springfield | $46,000 | 430 | +163% |
Indiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bloomington | $45,000 | 90 | -14% | | Columbus | $53,000 | 80 | +29% | | Elkhart | $46,000 | 70 | -66% | | Evansville | $51,000 | 190 | -33% | | Fort Wayne | $45,000 | 230 | -34% | | Indianapolis | $57,000 | 1,250 | -18% | | Kokomo | $38,000 | 150 | +195% | | Lafayette | $36,000 | 90 | -23% | | South Bend | $57,000 | 210 | -4% | | Terre Haute | $55,000 | 100 | -6% |
Iowa | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $48,000 | 300 | +38% | | Davenport | $54,000 | 540 | +79% | | Des Moines | $56,000 | 610 | +11% | | Dubuque | $37,000 | 100 | +31% | | Iowa City | $51,000 | 130 | +18% | | Sioux City | $57,000 | 80 | -27% | | Waterloo | $46,000 | 100 | -25% |
Kansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lawrence | $59,000 | 30 | -55% | | Topeka | $54,000 | 220 | +25% | | Wichita | $57,000 | 340 | -34% |
Kentucky | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bowling Green | $48,000 | 80 | -7% | | Elizabethtown | $56,000 | 150 | +136% | | Lexington | $51,000 | 440 | +9% | | Louisville | $57,000 | 1,040 | -1% | | Owensboro | $34,000 | 70 | -2% |
Louisiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Alexandria | $54,000 | 50 | -45% | | Baton Rouge | $51,000 | 290 | -53% | | Houma | $45,000 | 30 | -80% | | Lafayette | $50,000 | 120 | -49% | | Lake Charles | $44,000 | 40 | -70% | | New Orleans | $54,000 | 650 | -25% | | Shreveport | $52,000 | 110 | -62% |
Maine | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bangor | $58,000 | 50 | -49% | | Lewiston | $43,000 | 40 | -45% | | Portland | $52,000 | 190 | -43% |
Maryland | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baltimore | $65,000 | 2,470 | +10% | | Bethesda | $75,000 | 1,570 | +61% | | Cumberland | $43,000 | 30 | -41% | | Hagerstown | $58,000 | 140 | -11% | | Salisbury | $64,000 | 50 | -36% |
Massachusetts | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Barnstable Town | $55,000 | 130 | -18% | | Boston | $67,000 | 2,500 | -15% | | Brockton | $39,000 | 210 | +51% | | Framingham | $68,000 | 290 | +10% | | Haverhill | $55,000 | 70 | -41% | | Lawrence | $45,000 | 80 | -7% | | Leominster | $57,000 | 50 | -33% | | Lowell | $74,000 | 170 | -12% | | New Bedford | $52,000 | 100 | +1% | | Pittsfield | $55,000 | 40 | -15% | | Springfield | $65,000 | 380 | -24% | | Taunton | $58,000 | 90 | +32% | | Worcester | $61,000 | 240 | -42% |
Michigan | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ann Arbor | $57,000 | 470 | +74% | | Battle Creek | $53,000 | 120 | +67% | | Detroit | $58,000 | 2,380 | +97% | | Flint | $39,000 | 220 | 0% | | Grand Rapids | $44,000 | 930 | +45% | | Holland | $49,000 | 170 | +6% | | Jackson | $50,000 | 80 | +3% | | Kalamazoo | $48,000 | 350 | +59% | | Monroe | $46,000 | 60 | +5% | | Muskegon | $51,000 | 60 | -34% | | Niles | $50,000 | 100 | +6% | | Saginaw | $57,000 | 200 | +70% | | Warren | $62,000 | 1,820 | -8% |
Minnesota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Duluth | $50,000 | 220 | +8% | | Minneapolis | $65,000 | 4,980 | +62% | | Rochester | $65,000 | 160 | +10% | | St Cloud | $53,000 | 160 | -1% |
Mississippi | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Gulfport | $68,000 | 180 | +4% | | Jackson | $65,000 | 130 | -69% |
Missouri | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Columbia | $50,000 | 80 | -37% | | Jefferson City | $47,000 | 140 | +33% | | Joplin | $46,000 | 70 | -44% | | Kansas City | $62,000 | 1,440 | -18% | | Springfield | $50,000 | 170 | -47% | | St Joseph | $48,000 | 50 | -33% | | St Louis | $54,000 | 2,250 | -3% |
Montana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Billings | $56,000 | 100 | -20% |
Nebraska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lincoln | $57,000 | 210 | -21% | | Omaha | $45,000 | 560 | -29% |
Nevada | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Las Vegas | $54,000 | 780 | -51% | | Reno | $58,000 | 160 | -53% |
New Hampshire | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Manchester | $55,000 | 140 | -16% | | Nashua | $53,000 | 260 | +16% | | Portsmouth | $61,000 | 120 | +41% | | Rochester | $52,000 | 100 | +17% |
New Jersey | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Atlantic City | $53,000 | 130 | -46% | | Camden | $63,000 | 840 | -7% | | Edison | $66,000 | 1,860 | +5% | | Newark | $70,000 | 1,470 | -15% | | Trenton | $61,000 | 380 | +7% | | Vineland | $67,000 | 60 | -30% |
New Mexico | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albuquerque | $60,000 | 680 | +3% | | Santa Fe | $44,000 | 180 | +87% |
New York | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albany | $58,000 | 1,280 | +73% | | Binghamton | $45,000 | 120 | -29% | | Buffalo | $44,000 | 1,150 | +26% | | Elmira | | 70 | +39% | | Glens Falls | | 50 | -36% | | Ithaca | $49,000 | 30 | -52% | | Kingston | | 40 | -55% | | Nassau | $52,000 | 1,730 | -20% | | New York | $60,000 | 9,560 | +9% | | Poughkeepsie | $55,000 | 320 | -19% | | Rochester | $59,000 | 740 | -13% | | Syracuse | $47,000 | 520 | 0% | | Utica | $46,000 | 160 | -22% |
North Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Asheville | $61,000 | 130 | -56% | | Burlington | $49,000 | 30 | -66% | | Charlotte | $56,000 | 800 | -47% | | Durham | $69,000 | 380 | -17% | | Fayetteville | $63,000 | 180 | -8% | | Greensboro | $53,000 | 750 | +20% | | Greenville | $54,000 | 40 | -63% | | Hickory | $49,000 | 60 | -77% | | Jacksonville | $59,000 | 90 | +53% | | Raleigh | $61,000 | 430 | -50% | | Rocky Mount | $49,000 | 40 | -55% | | Wilmington | $56,000 | 80 | -66% | | Winston Salem | $54,000 | 200 | -44% |
North Dakota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bismarck | $54,000 | 90 | +6% | | Fargo | $53,000 | 120 | -35% |
Ohio | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Akron | $46,000 | 690 | +22% | | Canton | $38,000 | 390 | +37% | | Cincinnati | $50,000 | 2,790 | +57% | | Cleveland | $49,000 | 3,200 | +76% | | Columbus | $54,000 | 2,700 | +69% | | Dayton | $56,000 | 1,040 | +58% | | Lima | $50,000 | 170 | +118% | | Mansfield | $52,000 | 170 | +120% | | Sandusky | $45,000 | 110 | +119% | | Springfield | $28,000 | 110 | +58% | | Toledo | $45,000 | 1,120 | +114% | | Youngstown | $36,000 | 710 | +83% |
Oklahoma | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lawton | $58,000 | 40 | -25% | | Oklahoma City | $47,000 | 700 | -27% | | Tulsa | $48,000 | 250 | -66% |
Oregon | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bend | $62,000 | 100 | -5% | | Corvallis | $48,000 | 50 | +15% | | Eugene | $50,000 | 410 | +69% | | Medford | $51,000 | 150 | +14% | | Portland | $60,000 | 2,680 | +51% | | Salem | $58,000 | 470 | +93% |
Pennsylvania | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Allentown | $60,000 | 460 | -19% | | Altoona | $56,000 | 100 | +11% | | Erie | $57,000 | 190 | -6% | | Harrisburg | $57,000 | 760 | +43% | | Johnstown | $36,000 | 200 | +136% | | Lancaster | $51,000 | 220 | -44% | | Lebanon | $58,000 | 60 | -12% | | Philadelphia | $69,000 | 3,050 | -6% | | Pittsburgh | $39,000 | 2,420 | +24% | | Reading | $31,000 | 180 | -33% | | Scranton | $51,000 | 450 | +5% | | State College | $32,000 | 100 | +19% | | York | $54,000 | 360 | +22% |
Rhode Island | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Providence | $48,000 | 1,130 | +17% |
South Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anderson | $51,000 | 40 | -56% | | Charleston | $52,000 | 270 | -45% | | Columbia | $53,000 | 310 | -48% | | Florence | $67,000 | 80 | -39% | | Greenville | $49,000 | 280 | -45% | | Myrtle Beach | $45,000 | 40 | -79% | | Spartanburg | $49,000 | 100 | -49% |
Tennessee | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Chattanooga | $54,000 | 190 | -51% | | Clarksville | $57,000 | 70 | -40% | | Johnson City | $53,000 | 40 | -65% | | Kingsport | $51,000 | 110 | -40% | | Knoxville | $56,000 | 330 | -41% | | Memphis | $63,000 | 690 | -35% | | Nashville | $58,000 | 790 | -39% |
Texas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Abilene | $45,000 | 30 | -68% | | Amarillo | $54,000 | 30 | -81% | | Austin | $63,000 | 980 | -25% | | Beaumont | $45,000 | 70 | -73% | | Brownsville | $54,000 | 40 | -80% | | Corpus Christi | $57,000 | 80 | -72% | | Dallas | $64,000 | 3,330 | -8% | | El Paso | $56,000 | 180 | -59% | | Fort Worth | $62,000 | 560 | -62% | | Houston | $64,000 | 1,740 | -61% | | Killeen | $56,000 | 130 | -32% | | Laredo | $52,000 | 30 | -77% | | Lubbock | $47,000 | 60 | -69% | | Mcallen | $54,000 | 60 | -83% | | Midland | $51,000 | 60 | -40% | | San Antonio | $63,000 | 1,400 | -3% | | Texarkana | $58,000 | 40 | -51% | | Tyler | $53,000 | 40 | -72% | | Waco | $52,000 | 50 | -67% | | Wichita Falls | $58,000 | 50 | -42% |
Utah | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Logan | $45,000 | 50 | -26% | | Ogden | $59,000 | 300 | -9% | | Provo | $48,000 | 140 | -48% | | Salt Lake City | $56,000 | 740 | -31% | | St George | $45,000 | 50 | -30% |
Vermont | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Burlington | $64,000 | 190 | +9% |
Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Blacksburg | $54,000 | 110 | +19% | | Charlottesville | $57,000 | 230 | +57% | | Danville | $48,000 | 40 | -19% | | Harrisonburg | $50,000 | 70 | -13% | | Lynchburg | $53,000 | 90 | -43% | | Richmond | $61,000 | 1,790 | +76% | | Roanoke | $51,000 | 250 | -3% | | Virginia Beach | $60,000 | 1,470 | +14% | | Winchester | $61,000 | 80 | +3% |
Washington | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bellingham | $50,000 | 150 | +22% | | Bremerton | $69,000 | 270 | +110% | | Kennewick | $66,000 | 280 | +100% | | Longview | $57,000 | 110 | +137% | | Mount Vernon | $50,000 | 50 | -23% | | Olympia | $57,000 | 620 | +323% | | Seattle | $66,000 | 4,420 | +79% | | Spokane | $57,000 | 320 | -7% | | Tacoma | $68,000 | 600 | +33% | | Wenatchee | $60,000 | 60 | +4% | | Yakima | $50,000 | 160 | +29% |
West Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Charleston | $56,000 | 270 | +15% | | Huntington | $46,000 | 200 | +11% | | Morgantown | $51,000 | 140 | +106% | | Parkersburg | $63,000 | 230 | +116% | | Weirton | $34,000 | 180 | +195% | | Wheeling | $44,000 | 200 | +108% |
Wisconsin | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Appleton | $32,000 | 470 | +158% | | Eau Claire | $45,000 | 270 | +128% | | Fond | $38,000 | 160 | +150% | | Green Bay | $33,000 | 430 | +58% | | Janesville | $30,000 | 80 | -19% | | La Crosse | $35,000 | 140 | +33% | | Madison | $46,000 | 1,050 | +87% | | Milwaukee | $43,000 | 2,410 | +66% | | Oshkosh | $35,000 | 420 | +221% | | Racine | $34,000 | 160 | +35% | | Sheboygan | $30,000 | 150 | +76% | | Wausau | $36,000 | 280 | +173% |
Wyoming | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Casper | $58,000 | 40 | -27% | | Cheyenne | $57,000 | 70 | +11% |
Salary and employment data obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Individual salaries depend on location, education and career background. Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this human resource specialist schools and jobs info.
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