Human Resources Assistants
O*NET title: Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
Also called: Human Resources Assistants
Compile and keep personnel records. Record data for each employee, such as address, weekly earnings, absences, amount of sales or production, supervisory reports, and date of and reason for termination. May prepare reports for employment records, file employment records, or search employee files and furnish information to authorized persons.
Also called: Assignment Clerk, Benefits Clerk, Benefits Coordinator, Benefits Technician, Civil Service Clerk, Civil Service Worker
Median pay
$50,610
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$37,340 – $68,280
People employed
90,220
Holland code
CES
Conventional · Enterprising · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 2.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 3.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 4.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 5.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 6.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 7.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
Human Resources Assistants pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What human resources assistants do
- 01Process, verify, and maintain personnel related documentation, including staffing, recruitment, training, grievances, performance evaluations, classifications, and employee leaves of absence.
- 02Record data for each employee, including such information as addresses, weekly earnings, absences, amount of sales or production, supervisory reports on performance, and dates of and reasons for terminations.
- 03Interview job applicants to obtain and verify information used to screen and evaluate them.
- 04Explain company personnel policies, benefits, and procedures to employees or job applicants.
- 05Process and review employment applications to evaluate qualifications or eligibility of applicants.
- 06Inform job applicants of their acceptance or rejection of employment.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administrative
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- English Language
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cooperation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs vocational training or an associate degree (O*NET Job Zone 3).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from human resources assistants
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks93% · +15%
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants91% · +51%
- Human Resources Specialists89% · +50%
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive88% · −6%
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists87% · +55%
Change into human resources assistants
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks91% · $58,260
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive86% · $47,540
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants85% · $55,570
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers83% · $80,730
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks82% · $50,670
Majors that lead here
- Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General
- Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.