Human Resources
Business & Management · federal classification: Human Resources Management and Services
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $62,916 | $50,052 to $70,961 | 16 | 100% |
| Associate's Degree | $51,402 | $48,613 to $60,372 | 24 | 96% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,710 | $61,156 to $74,288 | 184 | 100% |
| Graduate/Professional Certificate | $73,314 | $66,258 to $101,518 | 9 | 100% |
| Master's Degree | $85,950 | $70,072 to $99,119 | 144 | 99% |
| Doctoral Degree | $112,047 | $98,621 to $149,304 | 6 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +6% (2025 to 2035), about 238,100 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Specialists | $75,940 | +6.4% | 73,700 |
| Training and Development Specialists | $69,280 | +10.8% | 46,000 |
| Compliance Officers | $80,730 | +3.8% | 32,700 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | $64,330 | +2.9% | 27,800 |
| Human Resources Managers | $149,280 | +5.5% | 16,800 |
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | $78,210 | +6% | 9,000 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a human resources program, of 676 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- University of Phoenix-Arizona
- Western Governors University
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Colorado State University Global
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
- Capella University
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick
- University of Maryland Global Campus
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.