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Business & Finance

Human Resources Specialists

Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.

Median salary (BLS)

$75,940

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$47k – $129k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Human Resources Specialists

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,500–$153,000

Time to qualify

4.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Human Resources Specialists" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Human Resources Specialists Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Human Resources Specialists

    Entry / Junior

    $47,180

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Human Resources Specialists

    Established

    $75,940

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Human Resources Specialists

    Senior

    $102,330

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Business & Finance

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.