HR Manager Job Description (2026): Duties, Skills and Salary
An HR manager runs the people side of a business: employee relations, performance management, policies, compensation and benefits, compliance with employment law, and HR operations. They advise managers on difficult people issues, keep processes fair and legal, and run programs that help employees do their best work.
In smaller companies the HR manager is often a generalist covering everything from onboarding and payroll to recruiting; in larger ones the role may be an HR business partner aligned to one department. HR managers work in HR systems such as Workday, BambooHR, HiBob or Personio, and often hold SHRM or CIPD credentials.
HR Manager job description template
Copy it, replace everything in [brackets] and cut what doesn't apply. Keep the requirements to what the job really needs.
Template · replace the [brackets]
HR Manager
[Company] · [City and office days, or remote with the countries or time zones you hire in] · [Full-time]
About [Company]
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, who it serves and why this team matters now.]
About the role
[Company] is looking for an HR manager to look after our [number] employees across [locations]. You'll advise managers, handle employee relations, run our performance and compensation cycles, and keep our policies and HR operations in good shape.
What you'll do
- Advise managers on employee relations, performance issues and difficult conversations.
- Run investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes fairly and in line with [local] law.
- Run the performance review and compensation cycles with leadership.
- Maintain policies and the employee handbook, updating them as the law changes.
- Oversee onboarding, offboarding, employee records and [HRIS].
- Manage benefits, and work with payroll to make sure people are paid correctly.
- Track turnover, engagement and headcount data to spot problems early.
What you'll bring
- [X]+ years in HR, including [Y] as a generalist or HR business partner.
- Solid knowledge of employment law in [countries or states].
- Experience handling employee relations cases from start to finish.
- Experience running performance and compensation processes.
- Discretion with confidential information, and sound judgment.
- Clear communication with employees at every level.
Nice to have
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR or a CIPD Level 5 or 7 qualification.
- [Workday / BambooHR / HiBob / Personio].
- Experience at a company of our size or growth stage.
- HR across several countries.
What we offer
- [Pay range: e.g. $X–$Y base salary, plus bonus or equity if offered]
- [Professional membership fees, training budget, hybrid working]
- [Health cover, retirement or pension plan, paid time off, parental leave]
- [Work authorization: whether you can sponsor a visa or hire through an employer of record]
[Our process: a call with the people lead, a scenario interview on an employee relations case, a discussion of a people program you've run, and meetings with managers you'd support.]
[Your equal opportunity statement, and how candidates can ask for adjustments during the process]
Put the pay range in the ad. Several US states, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, require it in job postings, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive gives applicants the right to know the starting pay or its range before the interview.
What real HR manager job ads ask for
The skills named most often in the 505 newest HR manager job ads we analyzed (out of 1,355 live postings), as the share of ads that mention each. A skill most ads name is a fair must-have; one few ads name belongs under nice-to-have.
- 1Employee relations46%
- 2Talent acquisition44%
- 3Performance management36%
- 4Employment law34%
- 5Onboarding32%
- 6Change management25%
- 7HRIS23%
- 8Excel18%
Certifications mentioned most: PHR (16%), SHRM-CP (14%). Degrees mentioned most: Bachelor's degree (45%), Master's degree (8%).
From live job ads · computed November 2, 2026 · refreshed daily
HR Manager duties by seniority
What the job usually looks like at each level. Pitch the ad at one level and say which in the title.
Junior
- Handles onboarding, HR records and everyday employee questions.
- Supports investigations and policy updates alongside a senior colleague.
- Learns how employment law plays out in real cases.
Mid-level
- Manages employee relations and HR programs for a business or region.
- Advises managers without needing sign-off on routine cases.
- Runs the performance and compensation cycles.
Senior
- Leads HR strategy for a large business area or the whole company.
- Manages the HR team and the most sensitive legal cases.
- Works with executives on organization design and change.
HR Manager career path
- HR Coordinator
- HR Generalist
- HR Manager or HR Business Partner
- HR Director or Chief People Officer
HR managers usually start as HR assistants, coordinators or recruiters, often adding a SHRM or CIPD qualification along the way. Later paths lead to senior HR business partner, head of people, HR director and chief people officer, or into specialties such as employee relations, compensation and benefits, or learning and development.
Advertised pay for HR manager jobs
Median advertised base salary in HR Manager job ads in the United States: $115,000 (middle half: $80,000–$155,500), from 259 job ads with a published salary in the last 90 days.
This is advertised pay, not total compensation: bonuses, commission, equity and benefits aren't included, and many ads publish no pay at all.
- HR Manager salary in the United States · median $115,000, 259 ads
- Remote HR Manager salary · median $132,500, 62 ads
Similar roles
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Runs business operations; in small companies often covers HR too.
- Project Manager job description
Leads projects such as HR system rollouts and reorganizations.
- Business Analyst job description
Maps and improves processes; HRIS analysts apply that to HR systems.
- Financial Analyst job description
Plans headcount and compensation budgets with HR.
HR Manager job description FAQ
What does an HR manager do?
Manages the people side of a company: employee relations, performance reviews, compensation and benefits, policies, employment law compliance and HR operations, advising managers and keeping people processes fair and legal.
What's the difference between an HR manager and an HR business partner?
An HR manager often runs HR operations and programs across the company; an HR business partner is aligned to particular departments and advises their leaders on people strategy. Smaller companies usually need a hands-on HR manager.
Which certifications should an HR manager job description mention?
In the US, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR or SPHR; in the UK and Ireland, CIPD qualifications. They're usually preferred rather than required, and knowing the employment law where your people work matters more.