jobfacts

Human resources officer

Human resources and industrial relations officers — SOC 2020 3571

Human resources and industrial relations officers conduct research, analyse data and advise on recruitment, training, staff appraisal and industrial relations policies and assist specialist managers with negotiations on behalf of a commercial enterprise, trade union or other organisation.

Also calledPersonnel officerHR officerEqualities officerEquality and diversity officerEqual opportunities officerEqualityand 93 more titles
Typical full-time pay£35,2002025 Provisional
People in the job196,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month6,000↑ 1.7%on last year · 25th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time human resources officers earn between £29,100 and £43,700 a year.

What full-time human resources officers earn, 2025
£35,200 typical£25,300lowest 10%£29,10025%£46,700top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£29,100–£43,700)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£25,300
Lowest 20% earn less than£27,900
25%£29,100
Median£35,200
75%£43,700
Top 20% earn more than£46,700
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £35,200
London£39,500
Scotland£36,400
North East!£35,800
South East£35,100
West Midlands!£35,000
East of England£34,900
East Midlands!£34,800
Wales!£34,400
South West£30,600
North West!£30,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£28,700
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £35,200
London£39,500
Scotland£36,400
North East£35,800 (small sample)
South East£35,100
West Midlands£35,000 (small sample)
East of England£34,900
East Midlands£34,800 (small sample)
Wales£34,400 (small sample)
South West£30,600
North West£30,300 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£28,700 (small sample)
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,300
  • 2024 £33,200
  • 2025 Provisional£35,200
↑ 16% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 6,000 jobs for human resources officers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20266,888
Jul 20266,672
Jun 20266,922
May 20266,126
Apr 20265,641
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20265,028
Jan 20266,055
Dec 20253,771
Nov 20256,271
Oct 20256,565
Sept 20256,241
Aug 20256,307
Jul 20256,557
Jun 20256,466
May 20257,310
Apr 20255,868
Mar 20256,407
Feb 20256,672
Jan 20255,622
Dec 20243,679
Nov 20244,983
Oct 20245,379
Sept 20246,217
Aug 20246,227
Jul 20246,745
Jun 20246,242
May 20247,435
Apr 20247,532
Mar 20246,161
Feb 20246,971
Jan 20248,488
Dec 20236,227
Nov 20236,986
Oct 20237,322
Sept 20237,140
Aug 20238,047
Jul 20239,176
Jun 202311,607
May 202311,048
Apr 20239,799
Mar 202312,831
Feb 202311,982
Jan 202312,380
Dec 202210,418
Nov 202212,343
Oct 202214,054
Sept 202213,984
Aug 202214,751
Jul 202214,891
Jun 202215,713
May 202217,724
Apr 202213,885
Mar 202217,011
Feb 202215,867
Jan 202218,199
Dec 202113,574
Nov 202115,197
Oct 202115,376
Sept 202114,733
Aug 202113,868
Jul 202116,149
Jun 202114,067
May 202113,223
Apr 202112,048
Mar 202114,495
Feb 20218,945
Jan 20218,284
Dec 20207,925
Nov 20207,709
Oct 20207,653
Sept 20206,541
Aug 20205,607
Jul 20204,991
Jun 20204,351
May 20203,595
Apr 20206,479
Mar 202013,814
Feb 202016,684
Jan 202014,787
Dec 201911,260
Nov 201913,342
Oct 201916,102
Sept 201913,137
Aug 201913,382
Jul 201916,201
Jun 201915,316
May 201914,654
Apr 201911,739
Mar 201912,051
Feb 201912,024
Jan 201914,350
Dec 20189,816
Nov 201813,371
Oct 201813,814
Sept 201813,964
Aug 201814,039
Jul 201813,657
Jun 201814,520
May 201813,981
Apr 201811,887
Mar 201813,784
Feb 201812,697
Jan 201817,135
Dec 201711,077
Nov 201714,322
Oct 201714,010
Sept 201713,523
Aug 201714,430
Jul 201713,393
Jun 201715,619
May 201716,541
Apr 201715,520
Mar 201718,723
Feb 201715,333
Jan 201721,732
Is there a shortage of human resources officers?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
25%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London3,698
Manchester801
Birmingham521
Leeds518
Bristol, City of444
Glasgow City285
Sheffield221
Belfast216
Liverpool213
Nottingham205
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where human resources officers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 118 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from France, United States, Germany, ranking it 93rd of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of human resources officers
n/p
39%
18%
19%
10%
2.2%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3439%
35–4418%
45–5419%
55–6410%
65+2.2% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent55%
Higher education below degree4.8%
A levels or equivalent27%
GCSEs or equivalent11%
Other qualifications!1.1%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent55%
Higher education below degree4.8%
A levels or equivalent27%
GCSEs or equivalent11%
Other qualifications1.1% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: activities of employment placement agencies (26%), general public administration activities (5.8%), business and other management consultancy activities (4.4%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (2.8%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
55%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
3
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 22 months
typically

Routes in

Human resources officer

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in any subject. You could then apply for a graduate human resources (HR) training scheme.

You may have an advantage if you study for an HR related subject like:

  • human resources management
  • business management and human resources
  • psychology

If you already have a degree, you could do a postgraduate qualification in human resource management, though this is not essential.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
More about this route
Graduate jobs

You can find graduate HR opportunities with:

  • small and medium sized private sector companies in most industries
  • large multi-national companies
  • charities and education organisations
  • public sector employers like the NHS and Civil Service

College

You can study for human resources qualifications at college, such as the Foundation Certificate in People Practice, offered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Courses like these are aimed at helping people to get some of the knowledge and skills needed to find their first job and get started in the profession.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for an apprenticeship, for example:

  • Admin Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • HR Support Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • People Professional Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as a human resources assistant or a business administrator in a company's HR department and work your way up through training and promotion.

Other routes

You can study a range of professional qualifications in human resources, either online or at a training centre approved by the CIPD.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Take a look at the CIPD Profession Map to find out more about the values, knowledge and behaviours needed by HR officers.

Further information

You can learn about a career in human resources from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Personnel Today.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for human resources officer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Equalities officer

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a degree in a subject, like:

  • law
  • psychology
  • sociology
  • community or youth studies
  • human resources
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
More about this route
Postgraduate courses

You could do a postgraduate qualification if you want to learn more about equality and diversity.

Courses include:

  • disability studies
  • race and ethnic relations
  • equality and diversity studies
  • human resource management

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with an organisation, such as:

  • HR support Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • People Professional Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship

These take between 1 and 2 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Volunteering

You'll find it useful to get some work experience in this area, for instance by volunteering:

  • to help with equality and diversity issues in a student union or trade union
  • with a local community group, tenants' association or charity
  • in a legal or welfare rights advice centre
Apply directly

You could apply directly for jobs if you have a knowledge of equal opportunities issues and laws.

Experience in human resources, advice services, youth and community work or social work could be useful when looking for jobs.

What you’ll need

  • pass background checks

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

Some employers will prefer you to be a member of a professional body, such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Further information

You can learn more about working in equalities, diversity and inclusion from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for equalities officer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Recruitment consultant

You can get into this job through:

University

You can enter recruitment with a degree in most subjects, although some employers may prefer a subject related to the industry, like:

  • human resources
  • marketing
  • public relations
  • business development

Some recruitment agencies specialise in a particular type of work and you may be expected to have a relevant degree or industry experience in that area.

For example, a degree in pharmacy or a background in pharmaceutical sales could help you get into pharmaceutical recruitment.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could study for a college qualification, which may help you to get a job as an assistant in a recruitment agency.

Courses include:

  • business studies
  • business administration
  • T Level in Management and Administration
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Recruiter Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship with a recruitment company.

This can take up to 2 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job learning and time spent with a training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as an admin assistant in a recruitment agency and work your way up through on-the-job training and promotion.

Volunteering

You could develop your understanding of the recruitment industry by getting some experience. Whether you're studying or looking for work, you could try:

  • work experience
  • internships
  • temporary employment

Getting relevant work experience in areas like marketing, sales or public relations could also help you develop some of the skills needed for this role.

Apply directly

You could apply directly to become a recruitment consultant if you have experience in a similar field, like human resources or business development.

If you have knowledge of a particular industry, it can be useful for working in specialist agencies like those involved in social care, engineering, construction or IT recruitment.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Whatever your qualifications, you'll be expected to have great sales skills and be able to communicate with people at many different levels.

You'll also need excellent customer service and teamworking skills.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Recruitment & Employment Confederation for professional development, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about a career as a recruitment consultant from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for recruitment consultant. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 5About 22 months

People professional

You gain
L5 Associate Diploma in People Management all units bar one. On programme the apprentice…
Leads to
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • undertakes research and analyses data on pay differentials, productivity and efficiency bonuses and other payments
  • develops and recommends personnel and industrial relations policies, assists with their implementation and drafts staff handbooks
  • assists with negotiations between management and employees or trades unions concerning pay and conditions of employment
  • interviews candidates for jobs
  • advises on training and recruitment, negotiating procedures, salary agreements and other personnel and industrial relations issues
  • deals with grievance and disciplinary procedures, and with staff welfare and counselling provision

Skills

  • write work-related reports
  • develop employee retention programs
  • document interviews
  • interview people
  • listen actively
  • negotiate employment agreements
  • profile people
  • administer appointments
  • organise training
  • assess character
  • communicate by telephone
  • develop professional network
  • facilitate job market access
  • fix meetings

Knowledge

  • employment law
  • labour legislation
  • job market offers
  • human resource management
  • market analysis
  • advertising techniques
  • company policies
  • government policy implementation

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business and public service associate professionals, a group of 26 jobs that includes human resources officers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 1.2%about 26,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.