Human resources managers plan, direct, and coordinate the administrative functions of an organization. They oversee the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of new staff; consult with top executives on strategic planning; and serve as a link between an organization’s management and its employees.

Human resources managers are employed in nearly every industry. They work in offices, and most work full time during regular business hours. Some must travel to attend professional meetings or to recruit employees.

Candidates need a combination of education and several years of related work experience to become a human resources manager. Although a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for most positions, some jobs require a master’s degree. Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills.

Employment of human resources managers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. As new companies form and organizations expand their operations, they will need human resources managers to oversee and administer their programs, and to ensure firms adhere to changing and complex employment laws. Strong competition can be expected for most positions.

This occupation supported 102,700 jobs in 2012 and 122,500 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 19.3%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 13.2% in 2022 to 116,300 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 105,400, compared with an observed value of 122,500, 16.2% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 10.5% in 2024 to 133,300 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 119,000 jobs for 2024, 10.7% lower than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation.