Career comparison
Human Resources Specialist vs. Payroll Clerk
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Human resources specialists earn more at the median ($75,940 vs. $58,260), while payroll clerks usually get to work faster (A few months on the job of training). Human resources specialists recruit, hire, onboard and support employees while keeping the company compliant. Payroll clerks make sure employees are paid correctly and on time.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Human Resources Specialist | Payroll Clerk | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $75,940 ($36.51/hr) | $58,260 ($28.01/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $47,180 – $128,720 | $39,500 – $81,350 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +6.4% (faster than average) | -15.9% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 73,700 | 11,400 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | 1–4 years | A few months on the job |
| Key credential | SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP | FPC |
| Work setting | HR specialists work in offices across every industry, as well as for staffing and recruiting firms. | Payroll clerks work in HR and accounting offices, and remotely.. |
What each job does
Human Resources Specialist
- Recruit, screen and interview candidates
- Coordinate offers, background checks and onboarding
- Complete Form I-9 and maintain employee records
- Administer benefits enrollment and leave
- Answer employee questions about policies and pay
Payroll Clerk
- Collect time records
- Calculate pay
- Process deductions
- Run payroll
- Answer pay questions
How they’re similar
Both careers involve desk work and remote-friendly work. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose human resources specialist if…
- I enjoy helping people and solving workplace problems
- I can keep sensitive information confidential
- I’m fair and level-headed in tense situations
Choose payroll clerk if…
- I’m very accurate
- I keep things confidential
- I like deadlines
Still torn? Take the Human Resources Specialist fit quiz and the Payroll Clerk fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, human resources specialist or payroll clerk?
Human Resources Specialists earn more at the median: $75,940 versus $58,260 for payroll clerks, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Payroll Clerks typically train faster (A few months on the job) than human resources specialists (1–4 years).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects human resources specialists to grow +6.4% from 2025–35, compared with -15.9% for payroll clerks.