HR Coordinator: Duties, Pay, and How to Become One

HR coordinators are responsible for supporting the daily operations of a company’s HR department. In this role, you’ll perform clerical and administrative duties pertaining to hiring, benefits, retirement plans, and employee relations. As a result, you'll be a critical link between employees and HR managers, ensuring everyone's needs are met. 

If you're an organized, detail-oriented individual who excels in collaborative roles, then becoming a human resources (HR) coordinator can be a rewarding, fulfilling career choice.

In this article, you'll learn more HR coordinators, what they do, how much they earn, and what you need to do to become one. At the end, you'll explore some future careers you may pursue as an HR coordinator and find suggested cost-effective courses that can help you gain job-relevant skills today.

What is an HR coordinator?

HR coordinators are responsible for the administrative and clerical functions of HR departments, performing such tasks as maintaining personnel records, creating and updating employee handbooks, and developing employee orientation programs. In some cases, they may also manage payroll functions, administer benefits plans, and coordinate employer-sponsored events. 

HR coordinators are frequently the first contact for existing staff and job applicants who have questions about open positions. Most HR coordinator roles are full-time during regular office hours, but you may occasionally work overtime to meet deadlines.

Read more: What Does HR Do?

What does an HR coordinator do ?

Human resources coordinators are responsible for a wide range of HR-related duties and work closely with HR managers. While their exact duties vary from one position to another, some of the most common duties that HR coordinators perform include the following:

• Manage hard and digital copies of employee records.

• Assist with the recruitment process of candidates.

• Manage the administrative process for interviews, meetings, HR events, and campaigns.

• Conduct training sessions and seminars.

• Update records of new and existing staff.

• Collaborate with the entire human resource team.

• Assist with internal and external human resource inquiries from employees.

• Assist with employee performance reviews.

• Track the hiring status of candidates using the company’s human resource information system (HRIS).

• Conduct background checks on new employees.

Read more: What Does a Human Resources Coordinator Do?

HR coordinator salary

HR coordinators make a slightly higher than average salary.

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary that human resource coordinators earn is $48,198 a year as of January 2023 [1]. This is somewhat higher than the national median wage for all workers in the United States, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted was $45,760 as of May 2021 [2].

Related roles and their salaries

Some companies may call HR coordinator jobs by a different job title. As you're searching for an HR coordination role, here are some of the different titles you may encounter along with their annual base pay, according to Glassdoor:

- HR assistant: $44,244 per year

- HR representative: $51,314 per year

- Recruiting coordinator: $46,589 per year

- HR specialist: $57,903 per year

- HR officer: $66,711 per year

*All salary data sourced from Glassdoor as of January 2023

How to become an HR coordinator

HR coordinators are integral to ensuring the proper functioning of HR departments, both large and small. While there are numerous ways to begin a career in HR, here are some of the most common steps many professionals take to join the field:

1. Get the relevant education.

Not all HR jobs require that you possess a college degree, but many of them do. While some jobs may require you to have an associate degree, most will likely ask that you possess at least a bachelor's degree. For more senior positions, employers often expect applicants to have a master's degree in human resource management.

According to Zippia, the most common college majors for HR coordinators are business, human resources management, psychology, and communication [3].

2. Gain the right HR coordinator skills.

To be a successful HR coordinator, you must be a detail-oriented and organized individual who excels at communication and collaboration. In effect, you'll need to possess the people skills to empathetically meet employee needs and the technical know-how to ensure your company abides by all federal and state laws. At glance, here are some the skills you'll want to develop to succeed as a professional HR coordinator:

• Understanding of payroll, benefits, and the recruiting and hiring process

• Comfort leading training and development efforts

• Grasp of employment law

• Proficiency in Office Suite software

• Knowledge of HR procedures, practices, and laws

• Organizational skills

• Attention to detail

• Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively manage employee relations

• Time and project management skills

3. Obtain HR certification.

Human resources professionals often rise through the ranks as they gain experience. However, getting certifications can help you advance your career more quickly. Certifications can also make it easier for you to change specialization within human resources, or move into a new company, or industry. If you're interested in making HR your profession, then here are some certifications you should consider:

• Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)

• Human Resources Information Professional (HRIP)

• Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)

4. Make use of your networks.

Networking is an effective strategy to get your foot in the door, not just for an entry-level job, but also for more senior positions within the HR industry. Here are some ideas to build relationships, gather information, and improve your exposure:

• Talk with friends and family members who have worked in HR. 

• Attend local networking events and meet other HR professionals. 

• Join social media groups or follow HR professionals on LinkedIn. 

• Connect with a mentor who can provide career guidance and advice.

5. Craft a resume that demonstrates your HR coordinator competencies. 

When you're considering a new job or pivoting to a new career, it's important to understand how your experience and skills meet employers' needs. As a result, you should work to identify the transferable skills you possess and how they might fit with an HR coordinator role. For example, if you've previously worked in customer service, then you might highlight your experience maneuvering complex interpersonal interactions, negotiating skills, and ability to come up with creative solutions that both resolve problems and improve customer satisfaction. These are all good examples of transferable skills that are valued in HR departments.

Hiring managers looking for HR talent will be interested in your accomplishments, so make sure to include them on your resume. For example, you might note that in a previous position you reduced employee turnover from 15 percent to 8 percent by initiating an employee recognition program. Whatever your accomplishment, potential employers will likely want to understand the impact of your work.

Read more: 10 Ways to Improve Your Resume 

Future Career Paths from HR Coordinator Jobs

Landing a job as an HR coordinator could be the first step to obtaining more advanced positions in the field. If you're interested in advancing your HR career, here are some of the jobs you might consider pursuing in the future:

• Senior HR coordinator: In this role, you would take on more responsibilities, such as supervising junior coordinators and handling more complex projects, such as coordinating benefits for new hires. You might also manage employee performance reviews for a larger group of employees.

• HR specialist: You could specialize in payroll and benefits, recruitment, training, or any other HR function. If you’re climbing the ladder in an enterprise environment, specialization is a great way to gain exposure to higher levels in the management structure.

• HR consultant: There are many consulting firms that work with companies of all sizes to help them address their talent needs, or improve their people practices, such as employee engagement, training, or diversity and inclusion programs.

• HR manager: In this position, you have full responsibility for everything related to human resources from hiring staff to ensuring retention and performance management. The role will vary depending on company size and industry. If you’re moving from a coordinator role you may want to take this role at a smaller company where you can gain experience before moving up the ranks.

Earn a professional HR certificate online

If you want to apply for an HR coordinator role, completing online learning can be a great way to build your resume, and set yourself apart from other applicants. In the University of Minnesota's Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization, you'll learn how to become a better manager of people by developing strategies and skills for hiring, managing performance, and rewarding employees.