Human resources managers
SOC Code: 11-3121
Human resources managers carries a 45% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $140,030 and +5.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 221,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 45% AI exposure, Human resources managers sits 8 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 81% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
66/100
Human resources managers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $140,030
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B+ +5.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 45% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Human resources managers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Human resources managers shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Average (378 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Human resources managers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Human resources managers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
45% Higher than most higher than 81% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Human resources managers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Human resources managers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Human resources managers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 11-3121) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Human resources managers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Human resources managers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
- 2. Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
- 3. Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
- 4. Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
- 5. Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
- 6. Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
- 7. Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
- 8. Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
- 9. Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview, and select applicants.
- 10. Investigate and report on industrial accidents for insurance carriers.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Writing
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
Knowledge Areas
- Personnel and Human Resources
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Law and Government
- Psychology
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Human resources managers?
Human resources managers has an AI exposure score of 45%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Human resources managers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Human resources managers is projected to grow by 5.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 221,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Human resources managers?
Key skills for Human resources managers include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Human resources managers earn?
The median annual wage for Human resources managers is $140,030, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Human resources managers?
The typical entry-level education for Human resources managers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect 5 years or more of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Human resources managers?
Human resources managers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Human resources managers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (45% here).
- Aerospace engineers · AI exposure 45%
- Airfield operations specialists · AI exposure 45%
- Couriers and messengers · AI exposure 45%
- First-line supervisors of gambling services workers · AI exposure 45%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+5.0% here).
- Civil engineers · growth +5.0%
- Elevator and escalator installers and repairers · growth +5.0%
- Paramedics · growth +5.0%
- Public relations managers · growth +5.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Human resources managers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Human resources managers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).