HR Assistant Salary Overview

How much does a human resource assistant make?

What is the Career Outlook for an HR Assistant?

The HR Assistant role is typically a stepping stone into a higher HR position, which explains why earnings cap out early on. Entry-level HR Assistants earn around $15.39 per hour, while top earners bring in around $17.81 per hour, according to Payscale. 

The HR manager or HR director typically oversees the HR assistant. This role is a great way to prepare HR professionals for an HR generalist or HR coordinator role in the future. They may also advance to an HR specialist or HR administrator.

What cities pay HR Assistants the best? 

• Mount Vernon, WA: $54,600
• Danbury, CT: $53,930
• Ithaca, NY: $53,930
• San Francisco, CA: $52,400
• Bridgeport, CT: $51,330

What are the Top Paying Industries for HR Assistants? 

The top five top industries for HR assistant position to earn the most are (BLS):

HR Assistant job description 

An HR assistant serves as the right hand to an organization's HR specialist by helping with clerical tasks. These tasks include basics like answering phones and emails and scheduling appointments. But they also serve as gatekeepers for important HR personnel records and are responsible for tracking confidential information such as benefits, salaries, and performance reviews. 

HR assistants may also step in during the recruiting process to create job postings, pre-screen applicants, and administer assessments to help get the most qualified candidates in front of HR specialists and directors. 

Top interview questions for HR Assistants 

The right questions will help land the most qualified candidates in the hot seat during the hiring process. These are our top picks.

• What is your approach to problem-solving? Tell us a time when you put those skills to use and how it benefited a previous job. 
• How would you handle an employee who requests “confidential” information from you? 
• Tell us about a process or system you improved in a previous job that helped your department improve.
  

Top HR Assistant skills and qualifications

HR assistants are wizards at payroll and benefit administration processes. They also knock out employee relations, understand payroll systems, and keep confidential information on lockdown.  HR assistants typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, though some organizations prefer associate’s degrees in a relative discipline. Since it’s an entry-level position, HR assistant duties require little to no experience.