by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in General Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration covers Human Resources Management/personnel Administration, General. A Program That Generally Prepares Individuals To Manage The Development Of Human Capital In Organizations, And To Provide Related Services To Individuals And Groups. Includes Instruction In Personnel And Organization Policy, Human Resource Dynamics And Flows, Labor Relations, Sex Roles, Civil Rights, Human Resources Law And Regulations, Motivation And Compensation Systems, Work Systems, Career Management, Employee Testing And Assessment, Recruitment And Selection, Managing Employee And Job Training Programs, And The Management Of Human Resources Programs And Operations. Continue reading for the essential details every general human resources management/personnel administration student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering general human resources management/personnel administration programs.
Across the country, general human resources management/personnel administration draws strong interest, with 17,602 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best General Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration Schools ranking analyzes these 531 schools to determine the best overall colleges for general human resources management/personnel administration students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of general human resources management/personnel administration programs later in this article.
Programs in General Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations general human resources management/personnel administration graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a general human resources management/personnel administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a general human resources management/personnel administration major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several general human resources management/personnel administration degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 482 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 784 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 6,387 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 9,773 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 27 |
People currently working in careers related to general human resources management/personnel administration tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 56.3% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 10.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 9.2% |
| Master’s degree | 7.4% |
| Some college courses | 5.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.5% |
| Doctoral degree | 2.1% |
| First professional degree | 0.7% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in general human resources management/personnel administration careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in general human resources management/personnel administration prepares you for many career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to general human resources management/personnel administration.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general human resources management/personnel administration.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 1,062,982 | 11.9% |
| Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers | 735,120 | 1.8% |
| Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 674,467 | 10.0% |
| Training and Development Specialists | 622,945 | 11.3% |
| Coroners | 499,816 | -4.9% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 405,890 | 11.8% |
| Human Resources Managers | 404,262 | -3.6% |
| Training and Development Managers | 394,938 | -0.4% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of general human resources management/personnel administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $56,722 |
| 4 years | $57,321 |
| 5 years | $65,449 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for general human resources management/personnel administration graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers general human resources management/personnel administration grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Training and Development Managers | $139,524 |
| Labor Relations Specialists | $129,587 |
| Environmental Compliance Inspectors | $119,630 |
| Coroners | $110,095 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $107,570 |
| Human Resources Managers | $95,702 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $90,840 |
| Regulatory Affairs Specialists | $85,399 |
With 531 different general human resources management/personnel administration programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased general human resources management/personnel administration school rankings to help you.
Students interested in general human resources management/personnel administration, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Organizational Behavior Studies | 3,447 |
| Human Resources Development | 1,604 |
| Labor and Industrial Relations | 1,540 |
| Human Resources Management and Services, Other | 950 |
| Labor Studies | 180 |
| Executive/Career Coaching | 101 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
