Human Resources Specialists
Also called: HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator), HR Generalist (Human Resources Generalist), Human Resources Specialist (HR Specialist), RecruiterRecruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 21 of its 26 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.4% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Human resources workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 39% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,940 | $50,930 to $85,030 | 11,080 |
| Alaska | $76,990 | $61,840 to $92,320 | 1,420 |
| Arizona | $71,390 | $56,590 to $93,040 | 20,230 |
| Arkansas | $55,010 | $43,730 to $74,600 | 6,230 |
| California | $83,500 | $66,060 to $117,430 | 104,000 |
| Colorado | $80,840 | $62,400 to $104,750 | 19,450 |
| Connecticut | $82,890 | $63,480 to $107,280 | 9,010 |
| Delaware | $77,700 | $61,700 to $100,840 | 2,720 |
| District of Columbia | $110,970 | $82,270 to $148,700 | 6,910 |
| Florida | $66,410 | $51,200 to $90,350 | 62,730 |
| Georgia | $70,570 | $53,680 to $95,610 | 32,110 |
| Guam | $59,900 | $48,780 to $72,390 | 380 |
| Hawaii | $73,750 | $59,540 to $92,010 | 2,570 |
| Idaho | $64,990 | $49,460 to $81,050 | 3,930 |
| Illinois | $76,820 | $60,750 to $98,580 | 35,430 |
| Indiana | $65,600 | $52,450 to $84,740 | 17,110 |
| Iowa | $66,710 | $53,890 to $85,770 | 7,930 |
| Kansas | $70,870 | $55,190 to $93,380 | 7,560 |
| Kentucky | $69,010 | $52,680 to $84,990 | 10,900 |
| Louisiana | $61,300 | $48,900 to $78,710 | 7,240 |
| Maine | $71,630 | $57,690 to $89,860 | 3,020 |
| Maryland | $83,910 | $64,760 to $111,530 | 15,530 |
| Massachusetts | $85,630 | $67,050 to $115,060 | 27,300 |
| Michigan | $69,520 | $55,560 to $89,270 | 25,520 |
| Minnesota | $78,760 | $61,860 to $100,930 | 17,240 |
| Mississippi | $60,300 | $48,290 to $83,280 | 4,850 |
| Missouri | $66,990 | $51,710 to $89,860 | 17,650 |
| Montana | $63,790 | $53,390 to $81,280 | 2,340 |
| Nebraska | $61,930 | $48,890 to $79,470 | 7,220 |
| Nevada | $71,610 | $57,680 to $94,990 | 6,520 |
| New Hampshire | $70,840 | $57,090 to $93,650 | 4,270 |
| New Jersey | $80,690 | $65,890 to $103,160 | 21,690 |
| New Mexico | $68,050 | $56,220 to $89,560 | 4,090 |
| New York | $84,380 | $65,260 to $118,380 | 54,610 |
| North Carolina | $73,070 | $56,850 to $96,910 | 31,140 |
| North Dakota | $75,630 | $60,570 to $90,000 | 1,710 |
| Ohio | $70,180 | $54,570 to $92,460 | 33,500 |
| Oklahoma | $61,630 | $48,560 to $81,280 | 9,370 |
| Oregon | $78,060 | $62,820 to $99,860 | 10,620 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,450 | $56,050 to $90,920 | 36,960 |
| Puerto Rico | $40,900 | $32,680 to $55,040 | 4,270 |
| Rhode Island | $77,560 | $62,180 to $97,210 | 3,320 |
| South Carolina | $65,370 | $51,810 to $87,420 | 13,720 |
| South Dakota | $67,590 | $54,910 to $88,100 | 1,340 |
| Tennessee | $67,370 | $53,890 to $85,200 | 21,460 |
| Texas | $68,920 | $52,900 to $90,790 | 84,930 |
| Utah | $71,750 | $56,450 to $95,090 | 9,900 |
| Vermont | $77,800 | $63,900 to $93,300 | 1,270 |
| Virgin Islands | $60,210 | $53,390 to $69,990 | 120 |
| Virginia | $82,090 | $62,070 to $108,970 | 28,540 |
| Washington | $84,550 | $69,200 to $110,550 | 22,770 |
| West Virginia | $66,860 | $52,660 to $91,560 | 3,130 |
| Wisconsin | $70,540 | $57,880 to $85,440 | 17,360 |
| Wyoming | $66,970 | $53,750 to $94,060 | 1,000 |
Nationally: $75,940. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 21 of its 26 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). | Not published |
| AI alone | Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate. | Not published |
| AI + software | Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork. | Not published |
| Not much | Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities. | Not published |
See all 26 tasks
| AI alone | Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns. | Not published |
| AI + software | Advise management on organizing, preparing, or implementing recruiting or retention programs. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Confer with management to develop or implement personnel policies or procedures. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide management with information or training related to interviewing, performance appraisals, counseling techniques, or documentation of performance issues. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform searches for qualified job candidates, using sources such as computer databases, networking, Internet recruiting resources, media advertisements, job fairs, recruiting firms, or employee referrals. | Not published |
| AI alone | Schedule or conduct new employee orientations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Maintain and update human resources documents, such as organizational charts, employee handbooks or directories, or performance evaluation forms. | Not published |
| AI alone | Analyze employment-related data and prepare required reports. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop or implement recruiting strategies to meet current or anticipated staffing needs. | Not published |
| AI alone | Contact job applicants to inform them of the status of their applications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Interview job applicants to obtain information on work history, training, education, or job skills. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct exit interviews and ensure that necessary employment termination paperwork is completed. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review and evaluate applicant qualifications or eligibility for specified licensing, according to established guidelines and designated licensing codes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct reference or background checks on job applicants. | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate recruitment or selection criteria to ensure conformance to professional, statistical, or testing standards, recommending revisions, as needed. | Not published |
| AI alone | Administer employee benefit plans. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule or administer skill, intelligence, psychological, or drug tests for current or prospective employees. | Not published |
| Not much | Coordinate with outside staffing agencies to secure temporary employees, based on departmental needs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate selection or testing techniques by conducting research or follow-up activities and conferring with management or supervisory personnel. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 26 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 26 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Manage human resources activities | |||
| Evaluate programs, practices, or processes | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Communicate with others about business strategies | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures |
Show all 17 activities
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance | |||
| Verify personal information | |||
| Interview people to obtain information | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Perform human resources activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report25%
- An explanation or answer22%
- An email or message11%
- Advice or a recommendation11%
- An analysis or summary6%
How they worked with Claude
79% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for human resources specialists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 641,609 moves out
- 1 Human Resources Managers High +5.5% 16%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 3%
- 5 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 641,750 moves in
- 1 Human Resources Managers High +5.5% 11%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping Very high -6.2% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 14% high school
- 1% postsecondary certificate
- 5% some college
- 7% associate's
- 47% bachelor's
- 2% post-bachelor's certificate
- 25% not published
O*NET marks 25% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 41 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 10% high school
- 15% some college
- 8% associate's
- 46% bachelor's
- 19% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Human resources workers” · 9,902 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Human resources workers”
6 programs, such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Business Administration and Management, General and Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General.
See all
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- Organizational Behavior Studies
- Executive/Career Coaching
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
16.1% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 4.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 4 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Human Resources Specialists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/13-1071.00