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Human Resources Managers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $149,280 Median per year · $71.77/hr Most earn $88,200–$267,810

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
  • Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
  • Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
  • Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
  • Investigate and report on industrial accidents for insurance carriers.
  • Plan, organize, direct, control, or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an organization.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 16,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Management of companies and enterprises13.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals4.9%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services3.8%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools3.6%
  • Computer systems design and related services3.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Human Resources Managers usually need a bachelor's degree plus several years of HR work before they reach this role, so it's not an entry-level job. Most people spend about 4 to 6 years in related HR work first.

  1. Bachelor's degree in human resources, business, or psychology

    4 years

    You build knowledge of employment law, hiring, workplace behavior, and how organizations run, which is the base for entry-level HR jobs.

  2. Human Resources Specialist

    3-5 years

    You handle hiring, employee records, benefits questions, and policy compliance, and you learn how HR decisions affect real people and the company.

  3. Human Resources Manager

    Career

    You plan and lead the HR team and set policies for the whole organization, using the experience you built in earlier roles.

Where it can lead

  1. Compensation and Benefits Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You become a specialist leader who manages pay structures and benefits programs for the organization, which requires deep knowledge of compensation rules and data.

  2. Training and Development Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You lead employee learning and development programs, which takes strong skills in designing training and measuring whether it works.

  3. Director of Human Resources

    Several years as an HR Manager of experience first

    You oversee the entire HR function and advise senior leaders on people strategy, which usually requires a strong track record of managing HR teams.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take psychology, economics, or business classesThese classes build an understanding of how people and organizations work, which is useful background for HR.
  • Join a debate, speech, or leadership clubPractice speaking clearly, working in teams, and handling disagreements, all of which are common in HR work.
  • Get a part-time job that involves working with peopleA job like cashier, server, or camp counselor teaches teamwork, customer service, and how workplaces run day to day.
  • Volunteer for a school or community organizationHelping organize events or manage volunteers gives you early experience with coordinating people and schedules.

In college

  • Major in human resources, business, or psychologyThese majors provide the bachelor's degree most HR roles require and cover topics like employment law and organizational behavior.
  • Apply for internships in HR or recruitingInternships give you hands-on experience with hiring, onboarding, and employee records, which employers value when hiring for entry-level HR jobs.
  • Take a job with responsibility for peopleCampus jobs such as resident advisor or tutor coordinator build the people-management experience that helps you move into HR roles.
  • Join a student organization related to business or HRGroups like a business club or Society for Human Resource Management student chapter, if your school has one, help you network and learn about the field.
  • Learn common HR software and spreadsheetsBasic skills in Excel and HR information systems make you a stronger candidate for entry-level HR specialist jobs.

Tips for getting started

  • Get experience early through a part-time job, campus job, or internship that involves working with people, such as hiring, scheduling, or customer service, since HR managers are expected to have years of related work.
  • Learn the basics of employment law and workplace rules, which are used in almost every HR job.
  • Build strong communication and conflict-handling skills, since HR work depends on listening, explaining policies clearly, and handling tough conversations fairly.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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