Human Resources Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
What it pays
Human Resources Managers earn a median of $71.77/hr — about $149,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $42.40/hr; the top 10% earn $128.76/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Human Resources Managers earn a median of $71.77/hr — about $149,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $42.40/hr; the top 10% earn $128.76/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out; you're around people constantly; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.6% of human resources managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a human resources manager make?
- The median pay is $71.77 per hour — roughly $149,500 a year, with the real range running from about $42.40/hr (10th percentile) to $128.76/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a human resources manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a human resources manager actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.