Human Resources Specialist: 100 Top Jobs in US for 2013

Human Resources Specialist Named One of U.S. News and World Report Top 100 U.S. Jobs for 2012.

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Like most things in the world, not all jobs are the same. Some jobs are clearly better than others. In a recent online post for U.S. News and World Report, they listed the 100 best jobs for 2013.

Human resources (HR) specialists made the list at #72, with an overall score of 5.7 and a median income of $54,310. The jobs were scored by the following components:

  • Median Salary (30%)
  • Employment Rate (20%)
  • Job Prospects (20%)
  • 10-Year Growth Volume (10%)
  • 10-Year Growth Percentage (10%)
  • Stress Level (5%)
  • Work-Life Balance (5%)

Human resources jobs encompass nearly every aspect of a company’s employees, including:

  • Recruitment
  • Hiring
  • Onboarding
  • Legal Compliance
  • Training
  • Employee Benefits
  • Compensation
  • Opportunities For Advancement
  • Relocation
  • Performance Reviews
  • Termination

What’s more; smaller companies will have all the HR tasks go to an individual. Human resources professionals need to be as good an advocate for their own HR as they would be for any company hiring them.

HR professionals must know exactly what duties they will be called to perform, as well as the expected experience and skill levels needed for the position. Employment services firms will be particularly rich sources of HR jobs as employers continue to outsource HR functions to Software-as-a-Service companies like Taleo, Kenexa and Ovation.Human Resources: Free live ovation demo

Another good sign for human resources professionals is that clip of hiring is picking up as the economy recovers. HR pros will be diverse and flexible, just like the people who make up an organization’s workplace.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates a 20.5 percent job growth in the human resources field between 2010 and 2020. This equates to at least 61,600 new jobs and 36,700 replacement jobs. As of 2011, there were 436,090 HR specialists in the U.S. This makes HR one of many rapid-growth fields as recovery from the recession continues.

The advantages of current human resources jobs are flex hours and telecommuting. Many HR staff will cooperate with employees based anywhere in the world; working with different groups as they develop and restructure, as projects evolve and needs arise.

Experience and a college degree are useful for HR pros; higher education will require strong business, management and vocational coursework. Good career-advancement can be found in larger companies. As HR becomes a larger part of a complete corporate business strategy, qualified HR employees can expect to achieve leadership positions, perhaps moving to private HR consulting firms.

HR Specialist may not be the top job—that went to dentists—but bright prospects make it one of the better careers for 2013.

What do you think about HR Specialists making the Top 100 jobs in the U.S.?  Join the conversation in the comments below!

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