Human resources managers: pay, outlook and skills
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
Pay distribution and location comparison
These are published pay distribution points for everyone working in this occupation, not pay levels for junior, mid, or senior roles. Location figures are pay as published; no cost-of-living adjustment is applied.
United States, all industries
| Pay point | United States | Selected area |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $88,200 | - |
| 25th percentile | $111,110 | - |
| Median | $149,280 | - |
| 75th percentile | $199,290 | - |
| 90th percentile | $267,810 | - |
| People employed | 220,660 | - |
Source: OEWS May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file Reference period: OEWS May 2025.
Long-term outlook
Official ten-year projection for 2025 to 2035. Projected annual openings are an average per year over the decade, including openings from workers leaving the occupation. They are not a count of jobs open today.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file Employment is published in thousands of jobs and converted here to people.
OptimizeResume analysis using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is not a BLS statistic or a prediction that an individual will be hired.
Score trend
Historical scores may be restated when BLS revises underlying data. The chart uses the latest restated values.
Confidence
- At least 90% of required inputs and occupation-industry mapping are covered.
How this score is built
Monthly industry demand is mapped to this occupation using official occupation-industry relationships, then combined with occupation fundamentals and long-term projections.
Read Methodology v1.0Skills, software, and day-to-day work
Skill values are O*NET importance ratings on a 1-5 scale for the occupation itself. They describe what the work requires, not how much employers are hiring right now.
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.4 / 5
- Management of Personnel Resources4.3 / 5
- Reading Comprehension4.3 / 5
- Speaking4.3 / 5
- Coordination4.1 / 5
- Writing4.1 / 5
- Active Learning4.0 / 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0 / 5
- Monitoring4.0 / 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0 / 5
O*NET importance rating, 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Software and technology
- Human resources softwareApplicant tracking software (in demand for this occupation), Oracle HRIS (in demand for this occupation), ADP Enterprise HR, ADP HR/Benefits Solution, ADP HR/Profile, ADP Workforce Now
- Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareWorkday software (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology), SAP software (hot technology), Deltek Vision, Infor ERP SyteLine, Kronos Enterprise Workforce Management
- Office suite softwareMicrosoft Office software (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Spreadsheet softwareMicrosoft Excel (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- Electronic mail softwareMicrosoft Outlook (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), IBM Notes
- Presentation softwareMicrosoft PowerPoint (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Mentimeter
- Time accounting softwareKronos Workforce Timekeeper (hot technology), ADP ezLaborManager, ADP Pay eXpert, Data Management TimeClock Plus, Exact Software Macola ES Labor Performance, Infotronics Attendance Enterprise
- Accounting softwareIntuit QuickBooks (hot technology), AccountantsWorld Payroll Relief, New World Systems Logos.NET, Sage 50 Accounting
- Document management softwareAtlas Business Solutions Staff Files, Microsoft SharePoint Server, PDF readers, WinOcular
- Web page creation and editing softwareFacebook (hot technology), LinkedIn, Social media sites
- Data base user interface and query softwareMicrosoft Access (hot technology), Automation Centre Personnel Tracker
- Business intelligence and data analysis softwareIBM Cognos Impromptu, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
O*NET marks individual examples only. “Hot technology” means the tool is frequently named across job postings generally; “in demand for this occupation” means O*NET recorded it as required by employers for this occupation. Unmarked examples are still commonly used.
Typical 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.
Also advertised as: 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.
Check your resume against a real job posting
This page describes the occupation in general. A free scan compares your own resume with the specific job description you are applying to, requirement by requirement, and shows where your real experience is already strong and where it is simply not documented yet. Only experience you actually have should ever be added.
Scan my resume freeSource: O*NET Database version 31.0 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under CC BY 4.0. OptimizeResume has modified the data for display only: selected the most important rated skills, grouped software examples by category while keeping each example’s official flags, and shortened the task list.
Guides for applying to this work
Sources and how to read this page
Source: OEWS May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file
O*NET 31.0 Database version 31.0 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0 and modified for display on this page. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
How each number should be read
- Pay percentiles describe the spread of pay across everyone in the occupation, not experience levels.
- Employment counts are jobs, not people hired during the year.
- Projected annual openings are a decade average from the official projection, not current vacancies.
- O*NET skill ratings describe the work, not employer hiring demand.
- Values BLS did not publish, suppressed, or top-coded are shown as such and never treated as zero.