With more than 41,000 human resource specialists and more than 10,000 human resource managers largely concentrated in the global business and financial center of NYC, it is no surprise that New York is among the top five states in the nation when it comes to employment and opportunities for advancement in human resources.
In even better news, New York is also one of the top-paying states in the nation for professionals in the field, with HR specialists earning an average of more than $75,000 and HR managers earning an average of $150,000 according to data released by the US Department of Labor in 2018.
The New York State Department of Labor reveals that between 2016 and 2026, bachelor’s and master’s educated HR managers and specialists have very favorable employment prospects:
HR Management Roles
- Compensation and Benefits Managers: 9 percent increase for an average of 130 openings per year
- Human Resources Managers: 5 percent increase for an average of 1,040 openings per year
- Training and Development Managers: 2 percent increase for an average of 380 openings per year
Non-managerial HR Roles
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists: 7 percent increase for an average of 870 openings per year
- Human Resources Specialists: 2 percent increase for an average of 3,830 openings per year
- Training and Development Specialists: 6 percent increase for an average of 2,510 openings per year
- Labor Relations Specialists: 1 percent increase for an average of 980 openings per year
- Human Resources Assistants: 5 percent increase for an average of 1,330 openings per year
Because HR professionals are responsible for recruiting, screening, training, and managing the workforce within all companies, the overall growth of New York’s job market inherently reflects the growing demand for HR professionals at every level – from recruiters and hiring managers, to benefits specialists and labor relations managers.
In August of 2019, the unemployment rate in New York dropped to 4.2 percent, continuing a trend of high employment it has enjoyed since 2017. Top corporations and other employers contributing to the state’s growing workforce and the increasing demand for HR professionals include municipal government, healthcare providers, the finance industry and more:
- The City of New York
- New York City Department of Education
- Government
- State of New York
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- New York City Health and Hospitals Corp.
- Mount Sinai Health System
- Macy’s Inc.
- Citigroup Inc.
- Bank of America
- Montefiore Medical Center
These organizations are some of the largest in the state, and all have a growing need for skilled HR professionals to manage labor relations, benefits, compensation and payroll, employee training, and more.
What Top Employers Look for When Hiring and Promoting HR Professionals
From recruitment specialists and hiring managers, to benefits managers and training specialists, among many others, a career in human resources provides opportunities to specialize in a number of distinct areas.
Human Resources Jobs in New York with the Federal Government
To illustrate the type of qualifications the federal government is looking for in human resource professionals, the GS requirements associated with HR jobs are listed here:
- GS-05: Requires four-year bachelor’s degree
- GS-07: Requires four-year bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement OR one academic year of graduate education
- GS-09: Requires master’s degree (or equivalent) OR two years of progressively higher education
- GS-11: Requires PhD (or equivalent) OR three years of progressively higher education
- GS-12: Requires completed PhD
Examples of human resources jobs in New York with the Federal government include (shown for illustrative purposes only):
Human Resources Specialist (Military) for the Army National Guard in Waterville – Applicants for this position should be in the national guard and meet GS-09 qualification criteria.
Human Resources Assistant (Military) for the Air National Guard in Syracuse – Applicants for this position must be part of the New York national guard and meet GS-07 criteria.
Human Resources Jobs in New York with the State and Local Government
Human resource job openings for the city of New York may be found through state and municipal resources like Public Service Careers with the City of New York and State Jobs NY (shown for illustrative purposes only):
HR Director of Special Projects for the New York City Department of Correction in Queens – To apply for this position, you should have a master’s degree in human resources management, management science, economics, finance, accounting, business, public administration, operations research, organizational behavior, industrial psychology, labor relations, HR development, or another related fiend.
The role will support recruitment, contribute to marketing, manage and develop career partnerships with schools, colleges, and other institutions, and more.
Senior Director of Labor Relations for the Bureau of Human Resources Department of Health in Queens – Applicants for this position should hold a master’s degree in human resources, labor or industrial relations, business or public administration, economics, or statistics, plus have four years of full-time HR experience.
This position will provide HR management by developing and implementing policies and serving as a representative to the NYC Office of Labor Relations.
Human Resources Jobs in New York’s Private Sector
Private sector HR jobs span a wide range of responsibilities and subject areas (shown for illustrative purposes only):
Human Resources Manager with Corporate Recruiting/Confidential Company in Hauppauge – Applicants for this position should have either a bachelor’s degree in HR management, business, or a related field with eight years of experience, or they should have a master’s degree in HR management, business or a related field with six years of experience.
This position focuses on overseeing all HR functions and responsibilities, as well as designing, planning, and implementing all training programs.
Payroll and Benefits Manager for Medical Knowledge Group in New York – Applicants for this position should have a bachelor’s degree in human resources (or a related field) and five to seven years of experience in payroll and benefits administration.
Primary responsibilities for this position include ensuring the smooth administration of payroll, analyzing company policies, and leading new hires through orientation.
Human Resource Coordinator for KPMG in New York – Applicants for this position should have a bachelor’s degree in human resources and one year of HR administrative experience.
The person in this role will foster a high-performance culture by responding to payroll, new hire, and termination needs and processing transfers, promotions, and leaves of absence.
Getting the Right Qualifications for a Career in Human Resources
Although advancing to a master’s degree allows human resource professionals to be qualified for leadership opportunities, while also allowing business professionals in other areas to reorient their careers around the management of human capitol, many HR professionals actually begin their careers with a bachelor’s degree.
When it comes to picking a major, HR professionals have a wide range to choose from, including degrees in human resources, business, industrial relations, and more. While the general human resources major will prepare students to serve as generalists and specialists with limited authority, other majors can tailor the education to more specific roles in areas such as management or labor relations.
Degrees in human resources are offered at schools throughout New York, as well as online and through blended programs that combine both distance and classroom learning.
Bachelor’s Degrees in Human Resources
Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree have quite a few options, including, but not limited to:
- Bachelor’s in Human Resources
- Bachelor’s in Human Resources Management
- Bachelor’s in Business, with a concentration in human resources
- Bachelor’s in Business Management, with a concentration in human resources
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), with a concentration in human resources
Obtaining a degree in human resources will provide students with an education relevant to all human resources-related duties. Degree programs such as these will include, but not be limited to, courses in:
- Federal and State Employment Law
- Management-Labor Relations
- American Labor Movement
- Collective Bargaining
- HR Information Systems
- Strategic Staffing
- Compensation, Payroll, and Benefits
- HR Management Training
- Education and Development
On the other hand, a degree in business with a concentration in human resources is more likely to have a thorough blend of business and HR courses, including:
- Accounting
- Business Information Systems
- Operations Management
- HR Management
- Security Management
- Sustainability
- Small Business Management
- Finance
- Principals of Marketing
- E-commerce
With a bachelor’s degree, students will be qualified to perform duties related to such HR jobs as:
- Payroll and Benefits Manager
- HR Coordinator
- HR Specialist
Master’s Degrees in Human Resources
Advancing to a master’s degree shows employers a deep level of dedication to professional excellence, and give anybody with a bachelor’s in another area an in to job opportunities in HR departments. Obtaining a master’s degree allows HR and other business professionals to more easily advance to upper-level management and executive positions.
Graduate students may choose from a number of options including, but not limited to:
- Master’s in Human Resources
- Master’s in Human Resources Management
- Master of Management (MAM) in Human Resources
- Master’s in Industrial Organizational Development
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Human Resources
- Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations
A master’s in human resources will provide in-depth education on such topics as:
- Human Resources Research and Analysis
- Employee Relations and Labor Relations
- Compensation, Rewards, and Benefits
- HR Management and Leadership
- Organizational Change
- Employment and Labor Laws
- Education, Training, and Development
A master’s in business administration with a concentration in human resources management will focus more broadly on business leadership in the context of managing human resources. An MBA in Human Resource Management will include, but will not be limited to, courses such as these:
- Strategic Marketing
- Accounting Management
- Economic Management
- Corporate Leadership and Management
- HR Management
- HR and Business in Global, Multinational Contexts
- Human Behavioral Analysis in Organizations
- Change Leadership
With a master’s degree, HR professionals will be qualified to perform duties related to such HR roles as:
- HR Manager
- HR Director
- HR Supervisor
Human Resources Professional Certifications
Obtaining a professional certification is a great way to stand out as a dedicated and qualified HR professional. Among the best recognized certifications are:
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- SHRM-CP (certified professional)
- SHRM-SCP (senior certified professional)
HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
- Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR)
- Associate Professional in Human Resources – International (aPHRi)
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
- Professional in Human Resources – International (PHRi)
- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
- Senior Professional in Human Resources – International (SPHRi)
- Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)
International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR)
- Certified Professional (IPMA-CP)
- Senior Certified Professional (IPMA-SCP)
New York’s HR Professional Resources, Employers, and Associations
Professional human resources associations, major employers, and staffing firms throughout New York include, but are not limited to:
New York HR Associations
- Human Resources Association of New York
- New York State Council SHRM
- New York Human Resources People & Strategy
- Association of Healthcare Human Resource Professionals
- Capital Region Human Resource Association
Major HR Departments in New York
- NYC Human Resources Administration Department of Social Services
- State Jobs NY
- Human Resources Management Bureau of New York
- USA Jobs
New York HR Staffing Firms
Examples of HR positions were taken from a survey of job listings in the state at the time of this writing and are shown for illustrative purposes only. These examples do not represent job offers or positions that are currently available.
Job growth projections sourced from the New York Department of Labor and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2016-2026) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and job growth data accessed in October 2019.