Human Resources Specialist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of human resources specialists to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035 (about 60,100 more jobs), with about 73,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $75,940 a year ranks 271st of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +6.4%
- Openings a year
- 73,700
- Median pay
- $75,940
- Pay rank
- 271st of 825
Is employment of human resources specialists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of human resources specialists to rise 6.4% (about 60,100 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +5.5% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 32 business and financial operations occupations with a projection. That change ranks 141st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 939,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 999,700 |
| Projected change | +6.4% |
| Openings a year | 73,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 939,700 jobs here differ from the 912,430 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 73,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 49th most of 830 occupations. About 92% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 6,010 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for human resources specialists rank?
The median of $75,940 a year ranks 271st of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | +6.0% | 9,000 | $78,210 |
| Training and Development Specialists | +10.8% | 46,000 | $69,280 |
| Management Analysts | +10.1% | 94,100 | $101,860 |
| Labor Relations Specialists | +2.1% | 4,800 | $95,420 |
| Project Management Specialists | +6.7% | 76,500 | $102,320 |
| Compliance Officers | +3.8% | 32,700 | $80,730 |
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | -6.2% | 7,900 | $50,610 |
| Human Resources Managers | +5.5% | 16,800 | $149,280 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.