by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Human Resources Law explores An Advanced, Professional Study Of The Law, Policies, And Regulations Affecting Human Resources. Examples: [Employee Benefits Law], [Labor And Employment Law]. Read on to learn the essential details every human resources law student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering human resources law programs.
Across the country, human resources law draws strong interest, with 159 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Human Resources Law Schools ranking analyzes these 4 schools to determine the best overall colleges for human resources law students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of human resources law programs later in this article.
Coursework for Human Resources Law emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations human resources law graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a human resources law program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a human resources law major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several human resources law 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 159 |
People currently working in careers related to human resources law tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First professional degree | 43.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 40.6% |
| Master’s degree | 13.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.9% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in human resources law careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in human resources law can lead to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to human resources law.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to human resources law.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Lawyers | 155,305 | 2.6% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of human resources law graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $78,306 |
| 4 years | $93,383 |
| 5 years | $107,509 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for human resources law graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers human resources law grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,726 |
| Lawyers | $73,181 |
With 4 different human resources law programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased human resources law school rankings to help you.
Students interested in human resources law, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
