Human Resources Manager
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
Also called: Employee Relations Manager · HR Admin Director (Human Resources Administration Director) · HR Director (Human Resources Director) · HR Manager (Human Resources Manager) · HR Ops Manager (Human Resources Operations Manager) · HR VP (Human Resources Vice President) · Recruitment Director
O*NET-SOC 11-3121.00 (Human Resources Managers)
Human Resources Manager salary
Wages for human resources managers across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $71.77.
Human Resources Manager pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $96,430 | $170,080 | $307,600 |
| Texas | $83,200 | $136,500 | $226,050 |
| Florida | $79,420 | $137,790 | $232,760 |
| New York | $105,380 | $176,650 | $321,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,940 | $133,060 | $222,690 |
| Illinois | $90,820 | $151,370 | $267,520 |
| Ohio | $81,940 | $130,480 | $218,740 |
| Georgia | $89,790 | $150,700 | $271,170 |
| North Carolina | $90,390 | $142,990 | $260,610 |
| Michigan | $88,990 | $138,930 | $224,880 |
Human Resources Manager job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 224,900 jobs in 2025 to 237,400 in 2035 (6% change).
- About 16,800 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Rapid Growth).
How to become a human resources manager
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- 5 years or more work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma1%
- High school diploma or equivalent6.1%
- Some college, no degree13.4%
- Associate's degree7.3%
- Bachelor's degree43.9%
- Master's degree25.1%
- Doctoral or professional degree3.3%
Related training programs
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Executive/Career Coaching
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Labor Studies
- Labor and Industrial Relations
- Organizational Behavior Studies
- Organizational Communication, General
- Organizational Leadership
What does a human resources manager do?
Common tasks
- Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
- Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
- Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
- Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
- Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
- Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
- Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
- Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
- Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
- Investigate and report on industrial accidents for insurance carriers.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Human Resources Manager certifications
8 of 35 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- International Public Management Association for Human Resources · Advanced
- Oracle Corporation · Core
- SAP America, Inc. · Product/Equipment
- Human Resource Certification Institute · Core
- Oracle Corporation · Product/Equipment
- Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP)International Public Management Association for Human Resources · Advanced
- WorldatWork · Core
- WorldatWork · Core
See all 35certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Human Resources Manager jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more human resources jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Human Resources jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Human Resources Specialist
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
- Management Analyst
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
- Labor Relations Specialists
- Training and Development Managers
- Compensation and Benefits Specialist
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Compensation and Benefits Managers
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
More human resources careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Human Resources Managers. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.