SHRM Jobs: Career Opportunities with a SHRM Certification

A certification from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) may give you the qualifications necessary to pursue a broad range of jobs with human resources. SHRM is a global membership organization for human resources (HR) professionals that offers certification at two levels: the certified professional and the senior certified professional. Both of these credentials help you designate yourself as someone with expertise in HR. You can apply both credentials to many different specialized positions within human resources. 

Use this article to explore different SHRM career opportunities, industry outlooks, and average salaries.

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 a SHRM-CP, you should have a fundamental working knowledge of HR. Meanwhile, to succeed as a 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 4 hours 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. 

Read more: What Is Human Resources and HR Management?

Career outlook and salary average for HR jobs

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks HR career data in the following categories from 2023 to 2033:

1. HR specialists

2. Compensation, benefits

3. Job analyst specialists

4. 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 $67,650 and have an 8 percent job growth outlook [1]. The agency reports that compensation, benefits, and job analyst specialists make a median salary of $74,530 and have a 7 percent job growth outlook [2]. The agency reports that human resource managers make a median salary of $136,350 and have a 6 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 March 2025 and does not include additional pay such as bonuses, profit-sharing, or commission. 

1. Talent acquisition specialist

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $73,350

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): $86,570

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): $99,835

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): $103,746

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 or 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. 

Read more: What Is Employee Relations? Definition + Career Guide

5. Training and development manager

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $99,063

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): $70,761

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 on 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): $69,446

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. 

Read more: HR Analytics: Tools, Types, and Benefits

8. Internship coordinator

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $55,174

As an internship coordinator, you will work to arrange internship opportunities for professionals who 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 internships during their program. 

Preparing for SHRM jobs on Coursera

With an SHRM certification, you will have a credential demonstrating your ability to work as a human resource specialist and in several other HR careers. On Coursera, you can find programs to help you prepare for the SHRM exam or develop the skills to start a career in human resources. For example, you could enroll in the HRCI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate to learn skills like employee relations, training development, and performance management. Upon completion, gain a shareable Professional Certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.