Human Resource Managers

ANZSCO ID 1323

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
95,000
Future Growth
16.3%
Weekly Earnings
$2,445
Full-Time Share
86%
Female Share
57%
Average age
44

Summary

Human Resource Managers plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate the human resource and workplace relations activities within organisations.

Specialisations: Occupational Health and Safety Manager, Training and Development Manager, Workplace Relations Manager.

A formal qualification in human resources, business management or occupational health and safety is usually needed to work as a Human Resource Manager. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Tasks

  • determining, implementing, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating human resource management strategies, policies and plans to meet business needs

  • advising and assisting other Managers in applying sound recruitment and selection practices, and appropriate induction, training and development programs

  • developing and implementing performance management systems to plan, appraise and improve individual and team performance

  • representing the organisation in negotiations with unions and employees to determine remuneration and other conditions of employment

  • developing and implementing occupational health and safety programs and equal employment opportunity programs, and ensuring compliance with related statutory requirements

  • overseeing the application of redundancy and other employee retrenchment policies

  • monitoring employment costs and productivity levels

  • may train and advise other Managers in personnel and workplace relations matters

Characteristics

Job Type
Managers
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow very strongly
  • is likely to reach 137,100 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
16.3%
(or 19,300 jobs)
From
117,800
in 2021
To
137,100
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 49,000
2012 51,800
2013 48,000
2014 45,300
2015 52,200
2016 52,300
2017 56,200
2018 54,500
2019 69,000
2020 74,900
2021 117,800
2026 137,100

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 87% of people employed as Human Resource Managers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 21 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $2,445 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $2,222
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $2,684

    Median hourly earnings are $65, this is much more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Human Resource Managers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 2,445 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
16.4%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
11.6%
3
Health Care and Social Assistance
10.7%
4
Administrative and Support Services
9.1%
5
Other industries
52.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

34.3% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

26.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.6% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

3.2% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Human Resource Managers All Jobs Average
NSW 34.3 31.6
VIC 26.2 25.6
QLD 17.0 20.0
SA 5.6 7.0
WA 11.0 10.8
TAS 1.6 2.0
NT 1.1 1.0
ACT 3.2 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
44
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
57%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Human Resource Managers is 44 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 57% of the workforce. This is 9 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Human Resource Managers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.2 5.0
20-24 2.0 9.3
25-34 18.5 22.9
35-44 32.8 22.0
45-54 29.5 21.6
55-59 9.8 9.0
60-64 5.0 6.0
65 and Over 2.2 4.2
Median Age 44 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in human resources, business management or occupational health and safety is usually needed to work as a Human Resource Manager. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Public Sector VET training pathways and Business Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Human Resource Managers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 23.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 32.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 19.6 11.6
Certificate III/IV 9.5 21.1
Year 12 10.0 18.1
Year 11 1.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 3.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Human Resource Managers who have strong leadership and planning, can communicate well in a team and are organised.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 66%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 63%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 63%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 61%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 61%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 61%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 59%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 59%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 59%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 59%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 59%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 59%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 59%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 57%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 57%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 55%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 54%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 54%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 79%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 71%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 69%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 69%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 68%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 64%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 62%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 60%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 58%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 55%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 50%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 47%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 44%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 41%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 39%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 38%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 38%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 23%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 19%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 12%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 66%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 63%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 61%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 59%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 55%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 52%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

  • 39%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 89%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 84%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 80%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 76%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 75%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 73%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 72%

    Hiring and organising staff

    Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees.

  • 71%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 71%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 69%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 69%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 69%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 68%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 67%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 65%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 65%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 64%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 60%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 56%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 48%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 81%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 71%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 33%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 81%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 76%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 99%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 93%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 93%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 92%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 87%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 85%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 83%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 79%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 79%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 78%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 74%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 71%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 68%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 66%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 65%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 64%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 11-3121.00 - Human Resources Managers.


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