How Much Does HR Make? (With Different Job Roles and Salary)

Updated 9 July 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

The HR department plays a vital role in recruiting candidates, managing employees and fostering company values. HR professionals handle multiple tasks like staffing, employee engagement, policy-making, managing payrolls and addressing employee concerns. Understanding their role, salary and duties may help you decide this is the right career choice for you. In this article, we discuss the duties of HR, describe their work environment, enlist steps to advance their career and find out how much does HR make.

How much does HR make?

If you are wondering "How much does HR make?," the salary of HR professionals generally varies depending on their role, expertise, geographical location and the company. They usually help organisations recruit, onboard, train and retain employees. HR managers also ensure that the company is compliant with government laws and regulations. They address employee issues and implement company policies within the organisation.

The various roles an HR takes in an organisation may include:

1. Human resource assistant

National average salary: ₹14,785 per month

Primary duties: An HR assistant performs several clerical and admin jobs for the HR department of the company. They may help maintain files, employment data, sort emails and track employee leaves. They assist HR managers and directors of HR with the hiring process, including posting job requirements, scheduling interviews and assisting candidates during the onboarding process.

2. Human resource specialist

National average salary: ₹15,375 per month

Primary duties: HR specialists are skilled HR professionals who are experts in one or more HR sub-domains. They have titles that reflect their specialities like benefits management, training manager, recruiting manager or employee relations manager. They are usually a part of the leadership and management teams and may oversee the HR department.

3. HR trainer

National average salary: ₹20,128 per month

Primary duties: An HR trainer designs, plans and administers training programmes for employees. They may arrange programmes for upskilling and training employees. They usually create training structures, revise old training sessions and also incorporate new learning material. An HR trainer ensures that the company's workforce is competent to match the organisational goals and work efficiently. They may also take care of training programmes for new employees at the time of onboarding.

4. HR consultant

National average salary: ₹18,849 per month

Primary duties: HR consultants usually work as contractors in companies. They possess expert knowledge of HR principles, functions, methods and best strategies. An HR consultant analyses the existing employment policies, employment structure, benefits, performance incentives and company policies to provide recommendations that can help maximise talent management.

5. Recruiter

National average salary: ₹19,235 per month

Primary duties: Recruiters usually work with companies or recruiting agencies. Their primary responsibility is to review applications, manage job postings, schedule interviews and contact candidates. They spend their time identifying the most suitable candidates for a job opening and assist the management in recruitment processes. They may also negotiate salaries and act as the first point of contact for candidates.

6. Human resource generalist

National average salary: ₹20,641 per month

Primary duties: HR generalists generally overlook several activities, including recruiting, performance management and employee welfare. They may also focus on meeting regulatory compliance, organisational development and advise the management on policy revisions. They focus on creating an employee-oriented high performing culture and may report to the HR manager or director of HR.

7. Human resource manager

National average salary: ₹3,68,004 per year

Primary duties: An HR manager is an intermediate between associates and the HR director. They usually supervise the work of their associates and strategise the company's talent policies. They may also conduct interviews and handle sensitive employee issues. An HR manager may also help companies oversee teams managing events, compensation and employee relations.

8. Diversity and inclusion manager

National average salary: ₹4,76,871 per year

Primary duties: A diversity and inclusion manager ensures there is equality in the opportunities provided to candidates and employees. They focus on promoting a harmonious, diverse and inclusive workforce within the organisation. An integral aspect of their job role is to conduct training programmes to increase employee awareness around inclusion and best practices to support it.

9. HR administrator

National average salary: ₹18,709 per month

Primary duties: An HR administrator guides the entire HR team and department. They prepare employment contracts and employee onboarding guides. They may also aid companies in revising their policy and identifying the practices that can benefit the company. HR administrators also communicate with other vendors like insurance companies, labour welfare teams to meet legal compliances.

10. Director of human resources

National average salary: ₹99,851 per month

Primary duties: The director of HR is typically the highest position in HR departments and they supervise the work of the entire human resource department. They report to the chief executive officer of the company and create overall company policies, procedures and compliance processes. They overlook training sessions, employee database management and ensure the HR department works efficiently.

Duties and responsibilities of an HR professional

HR professionals play a crucial strategic role in any company. Their responsibilities may differ depending on their expertise but generally include tasks that benefit the organisation and employees. The typical functions of an HR professional may include:

carrying out recruitment processes, including posting job requirements, coordinating with candidates and scheduling interviews
processing payrolls and taking care of reimbursements, tax deductions
complying with labour laws
advising managers on policy changes, HR issues and employee benefit programs
promoting and maintaining company culture through events and awareness programs
addressing employee concerns about their department
taking action against workplace harassment
planning and conducting training programs for employee onboarding and upskilling
maintaining employee records and organisational documents
coordinating and conducting employee performance reviews

The work environment of an HR professional

An HR professional typically works in an office setting for fixed hours throughout the week. The work environment of HR can be challenging, as they act as an intermediary between the management and employees. They spend their time maintaining employee records, strategising recruitment procedures, conducting exit interviews and staying updated with policy changes that may impact the company. They work to maintain company culture and plan programmes for employee engagement. HR professionals also address employee concerns daily and resolve them timely.

Skills of an HR professional

Some essential skills of HR professionals are as follows:

Communication skills

HR professionals engage in written and verbal communication with several company stakeholders. They may coordinate with candidates for recruitment procedures, suggest policy changes to the management, design training handbooks, send emails to employees and conduct exit interviews. Their role is very social and requires them to communicate professionally with all stakeholders.

Organisational skills

The role of HR includes a wide range of responsibilities, like recruitment, payroll management, policy-making and addressing any other day-to-day issues that may arise. To efficiently complete their tasks and goals, HR professionals have to become systematic in their approach. They also usually coordinate between various internal and external teams to organise events that require meticulous planning and execution.

Listening skills

Employees approach HR professionals to share their concerns related to their salary, workload and issues with colleagues or superiors. They have to listen to these concerns without bias and take the required actions. They also articulate employee concerns and reflect them in the changes to the company policies. An HR professional usually suggests changes to the management to address the concerns of employees.

Empathy

An HR professional has to be fair and unbiased to employees and candidates from different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities and genders. They have to be sensitive while addressing employees and not indulge in discriminative language or behaviour. Learning about diverse cultures is important for HR professionals to build an inclusive and fair company culture.

How to advance an HR career

The following steps may help you advance your HR career:

1. Improve your skills

There are several technical and soft skills essential to the role of an HR like communication, organisational management, policy-making and even relationship management. It is important to stay updated on the latest trends of the industry and job market. Learning high-demand skills like database management, business management, leadership skills and technical skills may help improve your employment chances.

2. Grow your network

Try to interact with professionals from within and outside the industry. This can help build different perspectives on the industry demands and also improve strategic thinking. Attending events and seminars also offer a great way to expand your professional network and may provide new opportunities.

3. Take initiative

It is essential to take smart initiatives for the benefit of the organisation and employees. Doing so also helps improve your visibility within the company and may improve your chances of growing within the organisation to leadership roles. Making contributions that benefit the employees may also gain their trust and subsequently improve employee retention.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries and the quoted websites at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.