SHRM Jobs: Career Opportunities with a SHRM Certification

Key takeaways

A Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) certification helps you prepare for various jobs within the human resources (HR) field.

• Many SHRM jobs, such as compensation, benefits, and job analyst specialists, as well as HR specialists and HR managers, have above-average salaries and faster-than-average job growth rates.

• SHRM offers two levels of certification: SHRM Certified Professional, designed for HR generalists, and SHRM Senior Certified Professional, designed for HR leaders.

• You can work as a talent acquisition specialist, employee relations manager, or HR analyst, among other roles, after earning your SHRM certification.

Explore different SHRM career opportunities, industry outlooks, and average salaries. If you want to develop your HR skills, consider enrolling in the HCRI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate. In as little as five months, you can learn about compensation management, employee relations, and talent acquisition. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career credential to share on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

What is SHRM certification?

SHRM is a professional membership organization for HR professionals that offers resources and demonstrates your skills and expertise in human resource management. The organization offers certification at two levels: SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). 

• SHRM-CP: This certification is appropriate for professionals in human resources management who perform general HR duties or duties related to HR. 

• SHRM-SCP: This certification is appropriate for professionals who have a leadership role or help develop HR policies or HR strategy. 

Both certifications cover the same topics, follow the same format, and ask the same type of questions. The level of expertise and depth of knowledge you’ll need to be successful are the only differences between the two. To be successful as an SHRM-CP, you should have a fundamental working knowledge of HR. Meanwhile, to succeed as an SHRM-SCP, you should have at least three years of experience and be working in or transitioning to a leadership role. 

• SHRM certification topics: Both exams contain questions on the following topics: organization (18 percent), people (18 percent), leadership (17 percent), business (16.5 percent), interpersonal (16.5 percent), and workplace (14 percent). 

• SHRM certification format: Both exams are 3 hours and 40 minutes long and contain 134 questions (80 knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items, including 24 field-test items). 

• SHRM type of questions: Both exams contain 50 percent HR-specific knowledge, 40 percent situational judgment questions, and 10 percent leadership questions. 

Career outlook and salary average for HR jobs

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks HR career data in the following categories from 2024 to 2034:

1. HR specialists

2. Compensation, benefits, and job analyst specialists

3. HR managers

Although each category contains several specific job titles and roles, these categories can give you an idea of how the job outlook and average salary look across the field. 

The BLS reports that human resource specialists have a median pay of $72,910 and have a 6 percent job growth outlook [1]. The agency reports that compensation, benefits, and job analyst specialists make a median salary of $77,020 and have a 5 percent job growth outlook [2]. The agency reports that human resource managers make a median salary of $140,030 and have a 5 percent job growth outlook [3].

Types of SHRM jobs

You can explore many different careers within the field of human resources that would be relevant for a professional with an SHRM certification. A few potential job titles to choose from include talent acquisition specialist, HR analyst, and more. Explore the various roles in more detail to help plan your career path. 

*All salary data comes from Glassdoor as of May 2026 and does not include additional pay such as bonuses, profit-sharing, or commission. 

1. Talent acquisition specialist

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $67,000

As a talent acquisition specialist, you’ll work with companies to locate and source potential employees with the right talent and skills for open positions. You may conduct market and competitive analysis to determine the best candidate. Then, you'll help your client or employer locate these potential candidates. In this role, you may also help develop strategies for retaining and attracting top talent. 

Read more: What Is Talent Acquisition?

2. HR manager

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $90,000

As an HR manager, you will plan, oversee, and develop strategies for a human resources department. Depending on the size of the HR department, you may perform administrative duties or oversee other HR professionals. In this role, you will act as a consultant to other department heads and oversee employee relations and regulatory compliance. 

3. Compensation and benefits analyst

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $87,000

As a compensation and benefits analyst, you will oversee the pay structure of your company and recommend what the company should pay each professional, how often and how large raises should be, and what kind of benefits the company could offer to be competitive in their field and attract talented employees. In this role, you will ensure that compensation is compliant with regulatory requirements, and you may write job descriptions that accurately reflect the work and compensation offered. 

4. Employee relations manager

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $103,000

As an employee relations manager, your primary role will be to be the liaison between the leadership and the employees. Your duties may include hiring new employees, firing others, working with employees to identify training opportunities, providing onboarding training to new hires, conducting performance reviews, managing disciplinary actions, and more. In this role, you will act as a mediator between the company and its staff. 

5. Training and development manager

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $83,000

As a training and development manager, you will be responsible for identifying what kind of training employees can benefit from, creating or selecting appropriate training materials, and conducting training. In this role, you will likely need to manage a department budget and manage a team of other individuals, such as trainers. 

6. Diversity and inclusion specialist

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $74,000

As a diversity and inclusion specialist, you will work to create a more equitable workplace. You will work closely with other HR professionals to organize and execute programs that educate and promote diversity. You will act as a liaison when an employee has a question or concern about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues. You may also host committees where employees can engage with diversity and inclusion topics. 

7. HR analyst

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $74,000

As an HR analyst, you will help dissect the data you collect from the workforce, such as retention rates, employee productivity, employee satisfaction, and more. You'll conduct surveys and find other ways to gather data, analyze data, and present your findings and recommendations to leaders in the company. In this role, you may make other recommendations based on data, such as appropriate employee compensation. 

8. Internship coordinator

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $58,000

As an internship coordinator, you will work to arrange internship opportunities for professionals who have recently finished a degree or other education program. You will be responsible for determining which candidates are best for the position and managing training programs that interns need to succeed in their roles. You will act as a liaison and mentor to interns during their program. 

What is the highest-paying job in HR?

High-paying jobs in HR include those at the executive level, such as chief people officer, with an average base salary of $252,000, or vice president of human resources, with an average base salary of $194,000 [4,5].

Discover free resources for your HR career

Visit our Career Resource Hub, where you can take a career quiz and evaluate your skills. Then, explore the following resources to learn more about certifications and career options:

• Read our Career Chat issue: Adding Certifications to Your Resume 

• Learn from an expert: Future-Proofing Your Business Strategy with GenAI 

• Watch on YouTube: Why Power BI Skills Are Essential for HR, Finance, and Business Intelligence 

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