Human Resources Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization. Oversee recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training of new staff.
Human Resources Managers plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization. Oversee recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training of new staff. The role reports a median annual salary of $140,030 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $81,060 and $221,390 and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £57,529 a year for Human resource managers and directors (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £43,676 to £78,677 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1136). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Human Resources Managers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Bachelor's degree in any subject (CA, CS or CMA also qualify)[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam CAT for admission to a management programme at an IIM[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CAT eligibility — Indian Institutes of Management (read on 2026-09-27)
Entrance exams on this route — Dates, eligibility and cut-offs for the exams on the way to this career:
5 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Economics and Accounting
A day in the life
Your day starts with a review of open requisitions and candidate pipelines, followed by a meeting with department heads about their hiring needs and team dynamics. Mid-morning you might mediate a workplace conflict, update the company's benefits package, or finalize a new diversity-and-inclusion initiative. Afternoons could include reviewing compensation data to stay competitive, coaching a manager on performance feedback, or leading an onboarding session for new employees. The role is all about people—reading between the lines in interviews, shaping company culture, and making sure every employee feels valued and supported.
Illustrative: one typical day. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Human Resources Managers do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization. Oversee recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training of new staff.
What does a typical day look like in Human Resources Managers?
Your day starts with a review of open requisitions and candidate pipelines, followed by a meeting with department heads about their hiring needs and team dynamics. Mid-morning you might mediate a workplace conflict, update the company's benefits package, or finalize a new diversity-and-inclusion initiative. Afternoons could include reviewing compensation data to stay competitive, coaching a manager on performance feedback, or leading an onboarding session for new employees.
How much does Human Resources Managers earn?
The median annual salary for Human Resources Managers in the US is $140,030. The middle 80% of workers earn between $81,060 and $221,390 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $103,020 and $180,530.
What is the job outlook for Human Resources Managers?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 221,900 workers.
How do I become human resources managers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Human Resources Managers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Human Resources Managers?
Our AI-durability model gives Human Resources Managers a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Human Resources Managers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.