How to Become an HR Consultant: Jobs, Salaries, Courses

Key takeaways

A human resources (HR) consultant is an outside specialist who offers specialized knowledge and helps improve functions, processes, and strategies. 

• The estimated total median pay for an HR consultant in the US is $134,000 [1].

• HR consultants work with the existing HR team to provide specialized feedback and new strategies to the organization. 

• You can become a human resources consultant by earning a degree, earning certifications, and building excellent communication skills. 

Learn more about becoming an HR consultant, how it differs from being an HR generalist, and how you can become one. If you’re looking to build skills in human resources, try the Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization from the University of Minnesota. In just 2 months, you can explore approaches in managing people, mistakes to avoid, and best practices for hiring and motivating employees.

What are HR consultants?

An HR consultant is an outside specialist who provides HR knowledge and expertise to various businesses and organizations. HR consultants are usually hired to provide high-level recommendations and solutions. An HR consultant will typically enter an organization, evaluate processes and inefficiencies, and implement strategies to improve functions and ensure best practices.

What does an HR consultant do?

Day-to-day work varies for an HR consultant because the tasks depend on a company’s needs. Some HR consultants have a niche that they specialize in. This could be talent acquisition, payroll and compensation, compliance and legal policies, or analytics, or it might be a niche within the company you’re working for.

Regardless of the type of business, HR consultants will start by meeting with the HR and management team to:

• Understand the issues and requirements

• Assess and evaluate the current process

• Recommend solutions

• Develop strategies and monitor progress

Typical HR consultant job responsibilities

HR consultant responsibilities may depend mainly on why you were hired and what they need you to address. In general, you may cover the following:

• Identifying workforce issues, goals, and specific requirements

• Researching to assess current processes and inefficiencies, and suggesting solutions to existing problems

• Advising management on human resources plans and processes

• Developing strategies tailored to the organization

• Managing the implementation of new HR strategies and monitoring changes

• Ensuring HR agendas align with employment law issues

• Formulating HR-related reports and presentations for management

• Acknowledging, suggesting, and overseeing any necessary changes to the workflow following the implementation of new systems

• Assisting with the recruitment and management of employees

• Training staff on new procedures, policies, and direction

• Keeping up to date with industry trends

Contracting as an HR consultant vs. working for HR consulting firms

As an HR consultant, you can work independently as a contractor or at a consultancy firm. Both have pros and cons. Working as a contractor means running your own business and having flexibility. You may be able to earn more because you’re receiving the entirety of the money rather than a salary. However, you'll likely have additional business costs to cover.

Working for a company means you don't have to spend time and money on marketing, administrative tasks, training, and other business expenses. While it’s possible to earn more money working for yourself, if you work for a consulting firm, you have consistent work and a consistent salary. 

Skills and qualifications for HR consultant jobs

The varied paths to an HR career are education, experience that begins with entry-level HR jobs, and skill development. The top levels, such as HR consultants, usually require higher qualifications, certifications, and on-the-job experience.

Education

The starting point for a career as an HR consultant is a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as human resources or business. A bachelor’s degree generally takes four years to complete. To advance to higher levels, you may want to consider a master’s degree in human resources management to give you the edge in this competitive field. A master’s degree in HR management will focus on strategic planning, pay equity, employee rights, and working at an international level. Typically, it takes two years to complete a master’s degree. 

Certifications

To go a step further and boost your credentials as a consultant, you can earn several HR consultant certifications. These are designed to help develop or strengthen specific career skills. While no specific certification requirements exist, several popular certifications to consider include:

• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)

• ASA Certified Health Care Staffing Professional 

• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)

• Human Resource Information Professional (HRIP) Certification

• HR Certification Institute (HRCI) certifications, such as:

  • Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)

  • Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

Required skills

There are several workplace and technical skills that companies look for in an HR consultant. In addition to expertise in your chosen niche, here are some common skills:

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

• Analytical thinking and problem-solving

• Project management, ideally in an HR setting

• Organizational skills

• Teamwork

• HR data analytics

• Employment law

• HR information systems (HRIS) software to manage payroll, benefits, employee data, and other HR functions

Read more: HR Leadership: Jobs, Strategies, and Career Guide

HR consultant generalist vs. specialist

You can choose to be an HR consultant generalist who offers a wide variety of HR services or an HR consultant specialist who focuses on one area of HR. As a specialist, you can choose an area you're most interested in or have expertise in. Some of the main specialty areas in HR include recruiting and staffing, training and development, performance management, HR compliance, compensation and benefits, organizational structure, and workplace safety and health issues.

How much do HR consultants make? 

According to Glassdoor, the estimated median total pay for HR consultant salary in the US is $134,000. with an HR consultant with 15 or more years of experience earning an average of $174,000 [1]. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. HR consultants working as contractors charge between $98.38 and $183.82 per hour, with an average of $141.10 per hour [2]. 

Explore our free resources for HR professionals

Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, for industry updates, tips, and trends. Then, explore our free resources to optimize your professional growth:

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz? 

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

• Explore new technologies: GenAI for HR: Use Cases and Benefits 

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses. 

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