13
Human Resources Specialists is a notable career in the 13 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Human Resources Specialists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 13-1071 |
| title | Human Resources Specialists |
| onet code | 13-1071.00 |
| description | Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas. |
| job zone | 4 |
| major group | 13 |
| tot emp | 917,460 |
| a mean | 79,730 |
| a median | 72,910 |
| a pct10 | 45,440 |
| a pct25 | 55,870 |
| a pct75 | 97,270 |
| a pct90 | 126,540 |
| h mean | 38 |
| h median | 35 |
The day-to-day work of a human resources specialists typically centers on interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Active Listening. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.63 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working human resources specialists, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (46.6%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 72% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in District of Columbia at $102,500 and lowest in Arkansas at $52,890 — a 1.9× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, Washington, Massachusetts, California, Maryland) average $86,128. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $102,500 | $110,050 | $63,320 | $167,050 | 7,130 |
| Washington | $83,230 | $93,800 | $55,640 | $136,660 | 25,110 |
| Massachusetts | $81,960 | $92,230 | $51,980 | $140,550 | 25,490 |
| California | $81,810 | $94,720 | $50,250 | $152,010 | 104,880 |
| Maryland | $81,140 | $90,080 | $50,970 | $139,380 | 16,960 |
| New York | $81,140 | $91,490 | $51,780 | $142,880 | 53,030 |
| Virginia | $78,580 | $86,260 | $47,040 | $133,680 | 29,530 |
| Colorado | $78,170 | $89,280 | $49,230 | $135,250 | 21,020 |
| New Jersey | $78,170 | $86,070 | $52,400 | $129,740 | 23,180 |
| Connecticut | $77,750 | $83,200 | $48,920 | $125,700 | 8,660 |
| Minnesota | $77,250 | $82,260 | $49,490 | $125,260 | 16,850 |
| Kansas | $76,490 | $77,880 | $45,240 | $110,300 | 8,830 |
| Vermont | $76,190 | $80,830 | $53,200 | $114,990 | 1,290 |
| Oregon | $74,030 | $79,310 | $49,170 | $114,100 | 11,200 |
| Delaware | $72,670 | $79,540 | $48,420 | $127,150 | 3,110 |
| Illinois | $72,350 | $76,880 | $47,140 | $113,900 | 32,600 |
| Rhode Island | $70,060 | $76,760 | $46,670 | $116,620 | 3,160 |
| North Dakota | $69,740 | $75,080 | $47,520 | $122,410 | 1,870 |
| North Carolina | $69,400 | $77,920 | $44,730 | $124,500 | 31,510 |
| Utah | $67,620 | $75,190 | $42,790 | $118,220 | 10,450 |
| Hawaii | $66,970 | $72,430 | $44,060 | $108,090 | 2,710 |
| Michigan | $66,400 | $73,560 | $44,990 | $107,910 | 26,870 |
| Wisconsin | $66,370 | $72,060 | $46,110 | $103,710 | 17,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,020 | $74,640 | $44,370 | $109,430 | 36,710 |
| New Hampshire | $65,610 | $76,280 | $45,210 | $116,520 | 3,990 |
| Arizona | $65,410 | $72,850 | $45,840 | $106,350 | 19,840 |
| Tennessee | $65,200 | $73,120 | $43,200 | $115,350 | 20,490 |
| New Mexico | $65,180 | $71,260 | $41,730 | $107,970 | 4,330 |
| Georgia | $65,130 | $73,920 | $42,650 | $115,840 | 32,980 |
| Kentucky | $64,950 | $69,920 | $40,680 | $103,400 | 10,680 |
| Iowa | $64,920 | $71,660 | $43,740 | $108,720 | 7,780 |
| South Carolina | $64,720 | $72,850 | $41,600 | $115,750 | 12,440 |
| Ohio | $64,600 | $72,860 | $41,450 | $108,780 | 34,590 |
| Texas | $64,560 | $73,890 | $39,800 | $117,870 | 85,580 |
| Maine | $64,420 | $69,970 | $43,530 | $102,520 | 3,080 |
| Nevada | $64,120 | $75,380 | $43,200 | $116,170 | 6,400 |
| Florida | $63,960 | $73,310 | $42,140 | $114,660 | 62,880 |
| Idaho | $63,630 | $67,510 | $39,460 | $100,610 | 3,490 |
| Alabama | $62,770 | $69,880 | $41,000 | $105,500 | 11,200 |
| Missouri | $62,710 | $70,430 | $41,080 | $104,020 | 18,240 |
| Wyoming | $62,690 | $69,680 | $40,050 | $107,350 | 950 |
| West Virginia | $62,300 | $71,210 | $38,420 | $113,730 | 2,950 |
| Indiana | $62,230 | $68,680 | $42,570 | $103,220 | 17,320 |
| South Dakota | $61,920 | $69,140 | $48,730 | $99,720 | 1,490 |
| Montana | $61,860 | $67,120 | $43,980 | $99,720 | 2,200 |
| Louisiana | $61,020 | $65,310 | $38,440 | $98,710 | 6,610 |
| Nebraska | $59,330 | $63,770 | $40,940 | $96,880 | 8,140 |
| Oklahoma | $58,070 | $64,530 | $38,130 | $99,720 | 9,460 |
| Mississippi | $56,050 | $63,130 | $35,320 | $103,390 | 4,560 |
| Arkansas | $52,890 | $61,630 | $35,510 | $99,910 | 5,660 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for human resources specialists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Business Intelligence Engineer or Career Development Specialist frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Human Resources Specialists compares to others in the 13 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Human Resources Specialists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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