Human Resources Manager

Also called: HR Director, People Manager

Leads a company's people team: hiring, pay, benefits, training, workplace problems and following employment laws.

A day in the life

You meet with a manager who wants to fire someone and make sure it's fair and legal, review next year's raises, and plan how to hire 50 people for a new location. Your phone buzzes with an employee complaint that needs an investigation.

Pay over a career

Starting
$84k
Typical
$140k
High
$239k

Training

Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 8 years after high school. Bachelor's in HR or business plus years of HR experience; SHRM-CP/SCP or PHR certifications common.

Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.

Majors to look at: Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Psychology.

Outlook

Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Faster than average.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI handles HR paperwork and policy questions; fair firings, investigations and employment-law judgment stay human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: AP Psychology, Business elective, AP Government, Speech and debate.

Official data: O*NET occupation 11-3121.

More Human Resources & Recruiting careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.