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Human Resources Specialists

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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

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 $75,940 Median per year · $36.51/hr Most earn $47,180–$128,720

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Develop or implement recruiting strategies to meet current or anticipated staffing needs.
  • Evaluate recruitment or selection criteria to ensure conformance to professional, statistical, or testing standards, recommending revisions, as needed.
  • Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
  • Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
  • Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities.
  • Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth; Numerous Job Openings

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 73,700 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

  • Temporary help services7.7%
  • Management of companies and enterprises7.3%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service4.3%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals3.8%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services3.8%

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

Some remote workExperience 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 Specialist is usually not an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend several years in HR support roles before stepping into this work, which often takes about 4 to 6 years of related experience in total.

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

    4 years

    You build the basics of HR, such as employment law, hiring, and workplace behavior, and you can start getting internships that count as experience.

  2. Human Resources Assistant

    2-4 years

    You handle everyday HR tasks like posting job ads, scheduling interviews, keeping employee records, and answering questions, which teaches you how the process works from start to finish.

  3. Human Resources Specialist

    Ongoing

    You take on recruiting, screening, interviewing, and placing people, often across several HR areas, and you work more independently on decisions.

Where it can lead

  1. Human Resources Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You lead the HR team, set hiring and workplace policies, and advise company leaders, which usually means showing strong results and good judgment over several years as a specialist.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take psychology, government, or business classesThese courses build an understanding of how people work and how organizations and laws function, which is the core of HR.
  • Join a debate, speech, or student council groupPracticing public speaking and working with different people prepares you for interviewing and building trust at work.
  • Get a starter job, like at a store or restaurantWorking with coworkers and customers teaches teamwork, communication, and problem-solving that employers value in HR.
  • Volunteer with a school or community group that recruits helpersHelping organize volunteers shows you what matching people to roles looks like in real life.
  • Build strong writing skillsHR involves writing job postings, emails, and policies, so practicing clear writing now pays off later.

In college

  • Major in human resources, business, or psychologyThese majors give you the coursework most HR employers look for, and HR-specific classes help you learn hiring and employment law.
  • Complete an internship in an HR or recruiting officeHands-on experience is one of the best ways to start building the 4 to 6 years of related work that this career usually needs.
  • Take a part-time campus job that involves peopleJobs like tutoring, campus housing, or student orientation help you practice communication, scheduling, and handling sensitive situations.
  • Join a student organization focused on business or HRClubs such as a professional HR or business association let you meet people in the field and learn about job openings.
  • Look into an HR certification after graduationMany HR professionals earn certifications later on, and learning about them now helps you plan which entry-level jobs to target.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for internships or part-time jobs in offices, retail, or customer service, since people skills and experience with hiring or scheduling help a lot when you apply for HR roles.
  • Learn the basics of employment law and workplace rules, either through a class or free online materials, so you can talk about them in interviews.
  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and HR software-style tools, because HR specialists often track candidates and employee records.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

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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