A company or organization's human resources department is in charge of everything from personnel recruitment and training to payroll and benefits. The HR staff often includes workers at every level, from administrative assistants to management. As a result, the pay scale in an HR department depends on responsibilities and employee rank.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for human resources managers was $108,600 as of May 2011. For those human resources managers who specialize in compensation and benefits, the mean annual wage was $101,130, and for those who specialize in training and development, the mean annual wage was $99,280.
Human resources personnel who handle the general day-to-day operations of HR departments under the direction of managers earned a mean annual wage of $58,890, according to the bureau. Those specializing in compensation and benefits earned $61,030 a year on average, while those specializing in training and development averaged $58,540 a year.
The clerical and administrative workers who assist human resources departments through record-keeping and other paperwork responsibilities earned a mean annual wage of $38,330, or $18.43 an hour, according to the bureau. Although the lowest-paid HR workers, their maintenance of personnel records makes them some of the most important employees.
The job outlook for HR workers depends largely on their role. Human resources specialists have the best potential for job growth, according to the bureau, at 21 percent between 2010 and 2020. This is due to expected growth in the employment services industry as companies outsource their HR functions. HR managers, on the other hand, have expected job growth of only 13 percent, while HR assistants face below-average job growth of 11 percent as technology reduces their utility.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Human Resources Managers
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Compensation and Benefits Managers
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Training and Development Managers
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Specialists
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Training and Development Specialists
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Human Resources Assistants
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Human Resources Managers
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Human Resources Specialists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Information Clerks
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