Career Profile: Human Resources Managers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 174,200 people employed as human resources managers in the United States. The median annual salary is $126,230. Entry level employees earn approximately $75,000 per year and senior employees earn approximately $208,000 (or more) per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
• Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
• Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• 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.
• Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
• Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
• Prepare personnel forecast to project employment needs.
• Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion, and employee benefits.
• Investigate and report on industrial accidents for insurance carriers.
• Administer compensation, benefits, and performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs.
• Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.
• Plan, organize, direct, control, or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an organization.
• Allocate human resources, ensuring appropriate matches between personnel.
• Oversee the evaluation, classification, and rating of occupations and job positions.
• Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
• Prepare and follow budgets for personnel operations.
• Conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for employee termination.
• Develop, administer, and evaluate applicant tests.
• Develop or administer special projects in areas such as pay equity, savings bond programs, day care, and employee awards.
• Contract with vendors to provide employee services, such as food service, transportation, or relocation service.
• Provide terminated employees with outplacement or relocation assistance.
• Analyze training needs to design employee development, language training, and health and safety programs.
• Study legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess industry trends.
• Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates.

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