Human Resources Specialist Career Assessment
Hiring, onboarding, and taking care of the people side of a business
Welcome
Human resources specialists handle the people side of a workplace. They post jobs, screen applications, set up interviews, welcome new hires, explain benefits, and keep employee records straight.
This is the most common people-side office job in North Dakota, and the easiest one to get into. You will explore what the work is really like and whether it fits you.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Human Resources Specialist?
A human resources specialist (often shortened to HR) is the person an employee goes to with questions about pay, time off, benefits, or a problem with a coworker. HR also finds and hires new people. Some HR specialists do a little of everything. That is called a generalist. Others focus on one part, like recruiting, which means finding people to hire.
The Reality: Most job postings ask for a bachelor's degree in human resources or business. But this is the most realistic door into the whole field. Two things get people in without a four-year degree: an office or customer service job that grows into HR duties, and the aPHR certificate from HRCI, which needs no degree and no HR experience at all. Also know this: HR is not the employees' friend and not the boss's enforcer. It sits in the middle. You will deliver bad news, and you will hear private things you can never repeat.
Your Responsibilities:
- Write and post job ads
- Read applications and screen the ones that fit
- Set up interviews and check references
- Welcome and train new hires on their first day
- Explain health insurance, retirement, and time off
- Keep employee records accurate and private
- Help settle problems between workers and supervisors
- Make sure the workplace follows labor laws
You are the reason a new hire feels ready on day one instead of lost.
A Day in the Life
8:00 AM — Check email. Two people applied for the warehouse opening overnight.
8:30 AM — Phone screen a candidate. Ask about schedule, experience, and pay hopes.
9:30 AM — Meet a new hire. Walk through the handbook and the insurance forms.
11:00 AM — An employee stops in, upset about their schedule. Listen and write it down.
12:00 PM — Lunch.
12:45 PM — Post a new job ad on the company site and on Job Service North Dakota.
2:00 PM — Sit in on a meeting with a supervisor about a written warning.
4:00 PM — Update employee files and lock the cabinet before you leave.
Office work, but people keep walking in. You switch tasks a lot.
Training in North Dakota
Most jobs ask for a bachelor's degree, but a certificate and office experience can open the door. There is no license for this job. Employers care about a degree, but they also hire people who already know the company and have shown they can be trusted with private information. A two-year business degree plus an office job is a real path, especially in smaller North Dakota towns where one person does all of HR.
Training Pathways:
- Start in an office job (right away): Take an administrative, payroll, or front desk job. Ask to help with hiring paperwork and onboarding. Add the aPHR certificate, which needs no degree. Many small North Dakota employers promote from inside.
- Two-year degree (2 years): A business management or business administration associate degree. Several North Dakota colleges require a Human Resource Management course inside it. Your credits transfer toward a bachelor's later.
- Bachelor's degree (4 years): A human resource management or business degree. This is what most postings ask for and what you need for manager jobs later.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Human Resource Management, B.B.A., 120 credits, 4 years, on campus or online. UND states the program follows the Society for Human Resource Management curriculum guidelines and standards — und.edu
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Human Resource Management Certificate, 9 credits, about 1 year, on campus or online — und.edu
- Valley City State University (Valley City) — Business Administration, Human Resource & Management Concentration, 120 credits, with courses in Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Corporate Training, and Communication and Interviewing — catalog.vcsu.edu
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) — Management major, B.S., minimum 120 credits, with a Human Resources Management track that adds 12 credits including Compensation Management and Labor-Management Relations — catalog.ndsu.edu
- Minot State University (Minot) — Management, B.S., 120 credits, on campus or online, with a Human Resources Management concentration (12 credits) including Human Resource Management and Talent Management and People Analytics — minotstateu.edu
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Management, AAS, 60 to 61 credits, 2 years. Human Resource Management (BADM 282) is a required course — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
- North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton and Fargo) — Business Management, AAS, Administration and Finance emphasis, 61 credits, in person or with online courses. Human Resource Management (BADM 282) is required — catalog.ndscs.edu
- Lake Region State College (Devils Lake) — Business Administration, AA, 63 credits, meant to transfer toward a bachelor's degree, plus a 15-credit Management certificate — lrsc.edu
Before You Start: High school diploma or GED. You need to write clearly, listen well, and keep your mouth shut about private things. Basic computer and spreadsheet skills are expected. No advanced math.
Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like training, tools, work boots, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Registered apprenticeships let you earn a paycheck while you learn — see jobsnd.com/job-seeker/apprenticeships for ND programs.
Certification & Licensing
No license is required. The aPHR is a genuine on-ramp with no degree needed. Two groups award the main HR credentials: HRCI (the HR Certification Institute) and SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management). Both let you start without a college degree, which makes this unusual among office careers.
Credentials You Might Get:
- aPHR (HRCI) — Associate Professional in Human Resources. HRCI states plainly that no HR experience and no degree are required, because it is a knowledge-based credential for people starting out or exploring a path into the field. This is the real on-ramp (hrci.org)
- SHRM-CP (SHRM) — Certified Professional. SHRM says no degree and no prior HR experience are required, and that candidates do not have to hold an HR title. A basic working knowledge of HR practices is recommended (shrm.org)
- PHR (HRCI) — Professional in Human Resources. You need 4 years of professional-level HR experience with no degree, or 2 years plus a bachelor's degree, or 1 year plus a master's degree (hrci.org)
- SPHR (HRCI) — Senior Professional in Human Resources. You need 7 years of professional-level HR experience with no degree, or 5 years plus a bachelor's, or 4 years plus a master's (hrci.org)
- SHRM-SCP (SHRM) — Senior Certified Professional. You need at least 3 years of strategic-level HR work, or you have held the SHRM-CP for at least 3 years while moving into a strategic role. No degree is required. SHRM counts at least 1,000 hours per calendar year of strategic HR work, and part-time work counts if you hit that number (shrm.org)
The Exams: The aPHR exam is given on a computer at a Pearson VUE center or online. It is 1 hour and 45 minutes of exam time plus 30 minutes of setup, with 90 questions: 65 that count and 25 test questions that do not. The PHR exam is 2 hours with 90 scored questions plus 25 test questions. The SPHR exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes with 115 scored questions plus 25 test questions (hrci.org).
Cost: HRCI lists the aPHR at a $300 exam fee plus a $100 application fee, the PHR at $395 plus $100, and the SPHR at $495 plus $100. Once HRCI approves your application there are no refunds, so be sure before you apply. Ask a career counselor whether exam fees can be covered.
Keeping It Current: HRCI credentials last three years. The aPHR needs 45 recertification credits over those three years, or you retake the exam. The PHR needs 60 credits over three years (hrci.org).
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Human Resources Specialist Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $24.29–$29.12/hour ($50,520–$60,570/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $36.36/hour ($75,630/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $43.27–$56.25/hour ($90,000–$116,990/year)
What that means: The middle North Dakota HR specialist earns about $36.36 an hour, or about $75,630 a year. That is almost exactly the national middle of $36.51, which is unusual. North Dakota pays this job right at the national rate. But read the bottom number honestly: the lowest tenth earns about $24.29 an hour. That is where you start, and an HR assistant or recruiting coordinator job can start lower still. The top tenth, near $56.25, is usually someone running HR for a whole company.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 1,940 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 2,140 (about 11% growth). Expect about 180 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 6% growth — faster than average.
Outlook: Good. North Dakota expects about 180 openings a year, and the state is growing this job faster than the country is. Almost every employer with more than about 30 workers needs someone doing HR.
Who Hires in ND: Hospitals and clinics, school districts, banks and credit unions, oil and gas companies, construction and trucking firms, manufacturers, colleges, tribal governments, city and county offices, and North Dakota state government.
Work Setting: An office, usually inside the company you work for. Mostly indoors at a desk with a door you can close. Some remote and hybrid jobs exist, but many employers want HR on site because workers walk in.
Physical Demands: Low. Sitting, typing, and talking. The strain is on your eyes, back, and wrists. A good chair, a sit-stand desk, and screen magnification or reading software are common requests employers say yes to. Recruiters may travel to job fairs.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 13-1071); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: HR Assistant or Coordinator — The usual first job. Paperwork and scheduling.
Path 2: Recruiter — Focus on finding and hiring people.
Path 3: HR Generalist — Do a bit of everything. The most common title.
Path 4: HR Business Partner — Advise one department closely.
Path 5: HR Manager — Run the department and supervise staff.
Path 6: HR Director — Set people policy for the whole organization.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Real door in without a degree
- Jobs in every ND town
- You help people directly
- Skills work in any industry
- Clear ladder to better pay
- Steady year-round office work
What's Hard:
- Most postings still want a bachelor's
- You deliver bad news
- Caught between workers and bosses
- Must keep secrets, always
- Paperwork and rules never stop
- Layoffs and firings land on you
Be Honest: Can you keep a secret for years, even from friends? Can you stay calm when someone is angry or crying in front of you? Are you willing to do the unglamorous paperwork that makes up most of the job?