Is Human Resources a Good Major?
By Joy Miller
Updated on October 1, 2024
Is Human Resources a good major? Talent is the paramount resource for every organization and corporation in today’s economy.
Human resources professionals hold the key to mining, maintaining, and retaining that resource. In return, they often earn between $40,000 and $120,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
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The goal of a traditional or online human resources degree is to form well-rounded, equipped graduates who are capable of handling employment, labor, and compensation matters with decorum, integrity, and strong interpersonal skills.
One of the interesting things about this field is that professionals are often asked to wear their “legal” hats, “negotiator” hats, “trainer” hats, and “advocate” hats while technically filling just one role. The coursework that goes into receiving a human resources degree reflects this.
Here’s a look at some standard courses for a human resources program:
A program that covers these topics can help prepare a future human resources leader to handle all aspects of managing an organization’s workforce.
Human resources is a field that allows you to put your natural interpersonal skills, knack for organization, and desire to be a part of big things to work.
The obvious benefit of getting into human resources today is that professionals with human resources degrees and credentials have never been in higher demand. Human resources managers are employed in just about every industry.
Another perk of studying human resources is that there’s actually a lot of range to what you can do with your degree. Plus, a majority of universities offer online accelerated human resources degrees that allow students to graduate quicker than the average student.
Some people are interested in compliance and organizational management. Others love the idea of hiring and nurturing talent within an organization.
Pros:
Cons:
There’s not a big downside to majoring in human resources in today’s economy. Of course, someone who isn’t a big fan of being a part of a system may feel constrained by working in the field of human resources.
Human resources professionals work at universities, hospitals, television networks, local governments, state governments, consumer brands, movie studios, airlines, and hospitality brands. The career possibilities with a human resources degree are endless.
Someone who simply has an interest in starting a career in a support role can work as a human resources generalist. A human resources generalist typically covers tasks that support roles and projects within specific parts of a human resources department.
This position is often a good launching point for getting into a more specific role within an organization.
A human resources specialist is someone who works within a very narrow subset of overall workforce relations. This can be something like a benefits manager or labor expert.
A recruitment specialist or talent-acquisition manager finds and recruits the workers who are the best fits for an organization. The process of filling just one position could take months of seeking out applicants, vetting applicants, interviewing applicants, and negotiating new contracts.
Someone who focuses on education and training is often the default “professor” within an organization. The primary focus of this position is organizing and instructing courses related to skills, training, and internal policies. You may also be in charge of conducting mandated training for safety or fair work environments.
It is also very likely that you may transition into an upper-level management role after beginning your career. A role as a human resources manager, vice president of human resources, or chief human resources officer could be in your future. These roles often involve coordinating with other executives for high-level decision making.
Human resources professionals are usually highly compensated. After all, corporations know they can’t exactly underpay the professionals who know about pay scales better than just about anyone else!
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics places the median annual pay for human resources managers at around $116,720. It’s not uncommon to make a six-figure income once you enter a management position in the field of human resources.
Here’s a look at average salary expectations for some common human resources titles:
Keep in mind that human resources professionals working at larger corporations often receive annual bonuses. Additionally, some companies actually offer commissions based on new hires for those in hiring or recruitment roles.
Part of excelling in a career in human resources is demonstrating your commitment to lifelong learning. Human resources professionals need to keep up with changing employment trends, hiring laws, benefits rules, and labor laws.
Obtaining special human resources certifications can strengthen your résumé, increase earning potential, increase eligibility for promotions, make you more valuable to your employer, and build personal satisfaction.
The HR Certification Institute offers the following certifications:
Each distinguished HRCI certification can demonstrate the competency necessary for professionals with specific career focuses.
It’s not surprising that a field that is so geared toward a “people” person has some of the most active organizations around.
Professional organizations provide great resources for networking and skills sharpening. This is the way to stay “in the loop” in your industry. Here’s a look at the top organizations for human resources professionals:
Joining several professional groups opens up diverse doors for networking and learning more about your profession. The big benefit of belonging to an organization is that you will be invited to conferences and events.
You’re probably going to bump into mention of regional accreditation as you explore your options for obtaining a human resources degree. While not necessary, graduating from a program with specialized accreditation can serve you well as a human resources professional.
Many human resources professionals decide to pursue advanced degrees after obtaining bachelor’s degrees to ramp up career trajectory. Graduating from a regionally accredited undergraduate program generally makes it easier to transfer credits and get accepted into M.S. programs.
Some employers won’t even recognize a degree without regional accreditation.
There are many ways to finance your degree, whether it’s an online associates degree in human resources or an on-campus bachelors. The big thing to remember is that the full tuition costs that you see when reviewing programs are almost never representative of what students actually pay.
Federal grants, federal loans, federal work-study programs, state-level aid, institutional aid, and private financing can all be used to handle the costs of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in human resources. Don’t forget that employers will sometimes fund all or a portion of a degree program.
You can also find unique scholarship opportunities for students pursuing degrees in human resources. The Society for Human Resource Management Foundation actually offers about 14 different scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students ranging from $5,000 to $200.
HR Payroll Systems awards one student pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree a scholarship worth $1,000 each year.
Let’s talk about the questions that almost every person has before enrolling in a human resources degree program.
A human resources degree is the direct path to a career in human resources. Some students choose to add a minor in business or communications to be more appealing to employers in the business world.
You could also major in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources.
Some people consider it an easy major compared to more math and science-intensive field. But this degree path will force you to hone your problem-solving abilities and develop strategies for dealing with both information and people.
Also, some Human Resources majors actually choose high-level business courses or statistics classes because learned skills can transfer over quite relevantly when it comes to handling things like compensation scales or benefits.
Yes, Human Resources jobs usually pay well, often ranging from $40,000 to $120,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). It is not uncommon to earn six figures at the mid-career point if you are on a specialized or management-oriented track within a company.
Becoming a high-level human resources manager, director, or vice president means that the sky really is the limit in terms of perks, compensation, and benefits.
Yes, Human Resources is a good major for many students. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting 5% job growth in management occupations over the next 10 years. Common careers in this field include human resources assistant, training and development specialist, labor relations specialist, human resources manager, and compensation and benefits manager.
HR is a highly relevant, highly applicable business major for today’s graduates. It is a major to consider if you are focused on earning a good living with room for growth in your career.
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