The Hierarchy of HR Job Titles (With Average Salary)

Updated January 17, 2023

This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach

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Human resources, or HR, departments often have a variety of job types and titles. The variety and ranking of HR positions can be confusing if you have little experience with the field. If you're interested in an HR career, however, it's important to know what jobs you might qualify for or get promoted to as you progress in your career.

In this article, we'll explain the hierarchy of HR job titles and how to advance in an HR career path.

What is HR?

Human resources, or HR, is the department within a company responsible for the hiring and development of its employees. A company's HR staff manages all payroll, benefits and administrative tasks for employees. They also handle employee relations and resolve conflicts.

Human resources departments are important because they help a company increase productivity while also maintaining employee satisfaction. Other reasons HR departments are important to include:

Setting competitive salary and benefits plans to attract talented employees
Providing employees with a safe place to work by ensuring that the company follows occupational safety and health rules
Resolving workplace issues between employees and employers
Organizing orientation and training for new and existing hires
Assessing employees’ job satisfaction and ways to improve it
Creating a smooth process for recruiting, evaluating, interviewing and hiring skilled individuals
Making sure the company follows employment laws

Businesses in all industries often hire a variety of HR professionals to meet these responsibilities. Bigger companies typically require a larger HR department with more specialized positions than smaller companies.

HR job hierarchy

Human resources departments often build a hierarchy of jobs, each level containing employees who may support others or perform specialized duties. This ranking helps ensure the department operates smoothly and meets the company’s personnel needs. Here's a list of human resources job levels a company might have:

Lower- or entry-level HR jobs
Mid-level HR jobs
Senior-level HR jobs
Specialized HR positions

Lower- or entry-level HR jobs

People can apply for entry-level HR jobs after getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a similar field. Most of these positions are administrative roles that report to the HR manager. Entry-level HR job titles and descriptions vary by company, but might include:

Staffing coordinator

National average salary: $17.92 per hour
Primary duties: These professionals help recruit employees, screen job candidates, assist in new hire orientation and administrative tasks, such as organizing time-off requests.

Staffing specialist

National average salary: $17.52 per hour
Primary duties: These individuals create job descriptions, assess applications and resumes, schedule interviews and manage employee schedules.

HR assistant

National average salary: $18.60 per hour
Primary duties: These professionals help HR managers with basic duties and administrative tasks, such as payroll, data entry, assisting employees and recruitment.

HR associate

National average salary: $19.40 per hour
Primary duties: Associates answer employee questions about payroll and benefits. They also organize staff paperwork and job applications.

HR representative

National average salary: $20.84 per hour
Primary duties: These professionals help employees and job candidates fill out paperwork and understand company policies and benefits.

HR administrator

National average salary: $20.96 per hour
Primary duties: Administrators maintain employment records, employee data, contracts and databases.

Mid-level HR jobs

After two or three years in an entry-level HR position, professionals often receive promotions for mid-level jobs with more responsibilities and higher salaries. In these roles, they might oversee a team of lower-level employees or they might specialize in a certain area, such as training and development. They typically report to the HR director or another upper management position. Examples of mid-level HR jobs might include:

Personnel manager

National average salary: $39,965 per year
Primary duties: These professionals recruit, hire and train new employees. They also review performance after probationary periods or annually.

HR specialist

National average salary: $52,517 per year
Primary duties: Specialists help recruit and hire employees, conduct interviews and oversee orientation.

HR generalist

National average salary: $60,716 per year
Primary duties: Generalists oversee all human resources duties, from company policies to employee relations.

HR supervisor

National average salary: $65,818 per year
Primary duties: Supervisors oversee hiring, regulate employee relations, manage payroll and lead training events.

HR analyst

National average salary: $62,290 per year
Primary duties: Analysts gather and manage company and employee data, review salaries and other statistics, conduct surveys and present this information to their managers.

Senior-level HR jobs

Upper-management HR professionals are responsible for all decision-making in the department. Depending on the company’s size, these individuals need at least five to 10 years of HR experience. Some high-level HR positions require a master’s degree. Human resources executives typically report to the company’s CEO. Examples of senior HR jobs might include:

HR manager

National average salary: $75,256 per year
Primary duties: These professionals oversee all HR tasks, including recruiting, training, payroll, benefits and employee relations.

HR director

National average salary: $93,887 per year
Primary duties: Sometimes called "deputy directors," HR directors oversee all employee relations, budgets, staffing, compliance, payroll and benefits.

Chief human resources officer

National average salary: $126,230 per year
Primary duties: Chief human resources officers manage the department and develop strategies to hire and train the most qualified candidates.

Vice president of human resources

National average salary: $129,047 per year
Primary duties: These professionals oversee and guide all staffing plans, employee relations, budgeting and more.

Specialized HR positions

Large companies might have highly specialized mid-level jobs that focus on one area of human resources. These can include:

Benefits administrator

National average salary: $56,936 per year
Primary duties: These individuals oversee employees’ health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, retirement plans, profit-sharing and other benefits.

Staffing manager

National average salary: $51,241 per year
Primary duties: Staffing managers oversee all of a company’s staffing needs, from recruitment to hiring to training to firing.

Recruiter

National average salary: $54,129 per year
Primary duties: Sometimes called interviewers, these professionals create recruiting plans and search for new talent through a network of industry organizations, professional contacts, social media, job fairs and more.

Employee relations manager

National average salary: $69,633 per year
Primary duties: These professionals oversee relationships and challenges between coworkers as well as employees and their supervisors.

Development manager

National average salary: $69,685 per year
Primary duties: Development managers, also called "training managers," organize employee training programs and materials.

Safety manager

National average salary: $86,426 per year
Primary duties: These professionals make sure companies follow federal and state laws, ensure employee safety and perform safety training.

How to advance your HR career

You can follow these six steps to progress in a human resources career:

1. Network with other HR professionals

A large network of professional connections and relationships can give you more opportunities to learn, develop and find jobs. Expand your network by meeting industry members through conferences, social events, trade shows, human resources organizations and professional networking websites.

2. Maintain current industry knowledge.

Stand out from others by staying up to date on new ideas and changes in the HR industry. Read human resources journals, blogs and magazines. Many HR associations, such as the Academy of Human Resource Development, produce articles and reports on the latest HR theories and practices.

3. Update your resume

Every time you get a promotion, reach a milestone, give a presentation or earn another accomplishment, add it to your resume. You should have a current human resources resume ready to send to potential employers if better job opportunities arise.

4. Understand all HR jobs

Because human resources departments include so many job types, learning about each one can help you decide where you want to specialize. A basic understanding of multiple HR jobs can also prepare you for generalist or management positions that oversee all HR operations. To build your knowledge, ask your supervisor or colleagues if you can talk to them about their job duties or shadow them for a day.

5. Get certified

Industry credentials, such as the HR Certificate Institute’s Professional in Human Resources certification or the Society for Human Resource Management certification, can improve your HR knowledge and set you apart from your coworkers. You must meet the education and experience requirements, then pass an exam to get certified. Add any certifications or continuing education courses to your resume.

6. Obtain your master’s degree

An advanced degree can prepare and qualify you for upper-level job opportunities. A master’s degree in human resources, human resources management or business administration can help you develop your skills and knowledge in subjects such as financial management, recruiting and business analysis. You might earn your master’s by taking in-person or online courses while still keeping your full-time HR job. A graduate program typically takes two years to complete.

You might hold several HR positions throughout your career. Once you understand the hierarchy of HR job titles, you can determine which ones you are qualified to apply for and which fit in your career path.