Occupations · Management
Human Resources Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 11-3121.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 41% between 2010 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $176,290 | 17,240 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $137,760 | 10,990 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $161,970 | 8,890 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $134,100 | 7,650 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $172,970 | 6,570 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $206,420 | 5,890 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $180,050 | 5,700 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $152,300 | 5,140 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $144,450 | 4,220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $178,550 | 3,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $157,360 | 3,250 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $129,130 | 3,150 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.
- Administer compensation, benefits, and performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 7 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 26
No longer listed 11
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| human resources manager | 1212.1 | exact |
| human resources officer | 2423.3 | close |
| resource manager | 1324.3.4.3 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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