# Human Resources Managers

> Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/human-resources-managers
- SOC code: 11-3121.00
- Career family: Management
- Median annual pay: $149,280 (10th percentile $88,200, 90th percentile $267,810)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +5.5%
- Openings a year: 16,800
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 4 |
| Investigative (I) | 22 |
| Artistic (A) | 8 |
| Social (S) | 48 |
| Enterprising (E) | 100 |
| Conventional (C) | 76 |

## What you'd do

- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 93/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 93/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 93/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 91/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 90/100)
- Developing and Building Teams (importance 86/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 86/100)
- Coaching and Developing Others (importance 83/100)
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others (importance 82/100)
- Staffing Organizational Units (importance 81/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Management of Personnel Resources, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Coordination, Writing, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Personnel and Human Resources, English Language, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Law and Government, Psychology, Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media

## Also called

Diversity and Inclusion Director, Diversity Manager, Efficiency Manager, Employee Relations Manager, Employee Welfare Manager, Employment Manager, HR Admin Director (Human Resources Administration Director), HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator), HR Department Supervisor (Human Resources Department Supervisor), HR Director (Human Resources Director)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Business Administration, Management and Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5202) (CIP 5202, 2,372 colleges)
- [Human Resources Management and Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5210) (CIP 5210, 758 colleges)
- [Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4228) (CIP 4228, 729 colleges)
- [Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0909) (CIP 0909, 621 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $97,419 | $160,783 | $19,000 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $96,806 | $144,654 | $19,500 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $94,811 | $144,599 | $10,656 |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $108,743 | $136,806 | $19,250 |
| [Emory University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $87,830 | $136,731 | $15,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $88,182 | $135,874 | $9,250 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $75,464 | $123,144 | $18,625 |
| [Bismarck State College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bismarck-state-college-254) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $113,408 | $122,948 | $14,482 |

## Related careers

- [Human Resources Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/human-resources-specialists): $75,940 median pay
- [Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/human-resources-assistants-except-payroll-and-timekeeping): $50,610 median pay
- [Management Analysts](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/management-analysts): $101,860 median pay
- [Industrial-Organizational Psychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/industrial-organizational-psychologists): $193,950 median pay
- [Labor Relations Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/labor-relations-specialists): $95,420 median pay
- [Training and Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/training-and-development-managers): $133,000 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.