Top 10 Highest Paying HR Jobs in India [A Complete Report]

Introduction

Human Resources (HR) is a core business area and profession which has risen in stature and demand over the years. Most of the highest paying HR jobs in India are also the most rewarding in job satisfaction and professional growth. 

In recent years, the practice of strategic human resource management has gained prominence across industries. It is all about effective planning for organizational HR needs, managing the workforce, and supporting employee development in a way that improves business performance.

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Human resources determine the success and failure of any enterprise, driving its vision and profitability. Therefore, the management of this business function is critical to creating a sustained competitive advantage in the industry. Moreover, the corporate culture expressed in the mission and value statements can be reinforced through the training, communications, learning and development, and performance management processes.

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Organizations are supposed to be harmonious and integrated spaces where goal-sharing and team-orientation hold fundamental significance. This standpoint makes the task of human resources personnel all the more relevant. 

Our Learners also read: Best HR certification courses online!

Now, before we talk about the potential career options and highest salary HR jobs in India can get you, let us first list the primary HR activities:

• Human resource planning
• Job design and analysis
• Recruitment and selection
• Compensation and employee welfare
• Performance management
• Training and development
• Maintenance of managerial and labor relations

With this in the backdrop, let us look at some possible career paths you can take after earning a degree in this domain. Based on your profile and aspirations, you can shortlist and come down in favor of the roles that generate your interest.

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So, let us describe the different job prospects one by one. We have also mentioned the median annual compensation associated with these positions in India, estimated by the salary search platform PayScale. 

Check out the scope and career options in HR in the USA.

Highest paying HR Jobs in India

1. HR Manager

Human Resource Managers are generalists who act as links between the directors and the executive level of corporate management. They spearhead teams of recruiters and other specialists to tackle particular HR-related problems and deliver successful projects. They also ensure that all procedures are in line with business laws and company policies.

Additionally, HR managers look after staffing, compensation and benefits, training, and labor relations. Since they have to juggle multiple HR components, having effective communication and time management skills is vital to do this job. Moreover, you would need to develop your analytical skills and a team-oriented mindset to facilitate productive workplace solutions.

Although a business administration background is not essential for an entry-level job, specialized credentials can improve your chances of getting an interview call. Organizations that offer lucrative managerial remuneration prefer individuals who exhibit the required knowledge and competencies and have three to five years of industry exposure. 

In India, HR managers can earn an average salary of Rs 7,09,361 per annum, depending upon the company and the city. 

They look after the tasks performed by the HR team. Their key tasks include interviewing, recruiting new staff, and providing consultation on planning with top executives. Fulfilling the following roles and responsibilities helps you to explore HR scope in India.

• Supervising the coordination and administration of the HR team.
• Assessing human resources programs and plans.
• Create and supervise the HR plans and procedures.
• Plan, consolidate, and regulate the activities of the HR department.
• Assist in the development of HR department objectives and systems.

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2. Training and Development Manager

These HR professionals work involves supporting the employees through education, training, and career planning interventions. These activities range from organizing orientation sessions for new employees to facilitating in-person workshops for existing staff to conducting personal and professional development courses. 

Training and development managers are adept at composing training collaterals, such as booklets and manuals. They hold meetings to gauge employee interests and motivations and interact with external trainers, experts, and agencies.

Therefore, they need excellent people skills to do their job effectively. Besides, they must be abreast of regulatory procedures and compliance requirements and communicate the same to employees. 

According to PayScale, mid-career training and development managers in India are paid total compensation of Rs 7,76,418 per year. 

Usually, corporate trainers are self-employed and partner with businesses on a contractual basis. They instruct a company’s team of employees. They track all the training materials, employee hiring, and training. Furthermore, they impart necessary skills to employees and familiarise them with the trends in a relevant area. The answer to how much HR earn in India depends on their skills and experience.

Roles and responsibilities of Training and Development Manager:

• Join forces with other administrators, executives, and coaches
• Administer and compile data.
• Share training requirements and accessible online tools before designing training materials, plans, and programs.
• Test and review the prepared review materials.

Track all the training materials, and perform employee hiring and training.

Read: Best Online MBA Courses in India

3. Compensation and Benefits Manager

This HR managerial position involves the preparation of compensation and benefits programs for organizations. Their work includes selecting and implementing plans by synchronizing their company’s budgetary constraints with the employees’ demands. The end goal is to pick the remuneration policy that allows for attracting and retaining talent. 

As a compensation and benefits manager, you would be required to have a grasp of pay and perks, allowances, pension, insurance, corporate policy, and employment and compensation laws. Modern and globalized workplaces also necessitate that managers understand the fundamentals of strategic management.

While developing compensation and benefits plans, you would be faced with assessing factors like the region’s general economic conditions, acceptable standard of living, political and social environment, and competitors’ paying capacity. 

In India, the average annual salary of compensation and benefits managers is estimated at Rs 12,99,064. 

There will always be demand for compensation and benefits manager. Business growth is guaranteed when employees work efficiently. Organizations need to look after their employees. Hence, they hire a compensation and benefits manager to ensure employee compensation is unbiased and valid. These managers manage bonuses, regular wages, pensions, stock options, and other types of benefits. They directly communicate with the employees to assess their salaries and mention their expectations. They handle plenty of challenging tasks, so their HR scope in India is wide.

Roles and responsibilities of compensation and benefits manager:

• Design compensation packages.
• Identify trends and implement new practices for engaging and encouraging employees.
• Guaranteeing that the benefits and salaries adhere to the existing legislation about human rights.
• Performing research on employee satisfaction.
• Track existing pay rates.

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4. Recruitment and Placement Manager

The person at the helm of hiring new employees in a corporate is generally given the Employment, Recruitment, and Placement Manager title. The primary job duties include directing the team in:

• Selecting sources of recruitment
• Screening qualified candidates
• Deciding which individuals to pursue 

These managers typically work under the guidance of HR managers or directors. Moreover, they have to communicate with the hiring managers of different departments to get an idea about their personnel needs and vacancies.

Apart from working with teams, recruitment managers should have an eye for detail and good interviewing skills. They should be trained in recognizing high potential candidates from a pool of applicants and discern how they fit within the corporate culture. 

The expected pay for this position in India is about Rs 4,97,351 annually. The earnings increase as you move up the corporate chain to occupy senior roles. 

5. HR Consultant

HR consultants are skilled in analyzing a company’s human resources situation and devising policies, employment structure, benefits packages, performance incentives, and many other issues. These experts usually work in a contractual capacity, helping HR managers with specific tasks.

They study the existing employment and provide recommendations to bring about the desired changes and maximize the advantages. For example, they advise the leadership and suggest how to deal with labor-management conflicts. 

To work as an independent consultant, one needs to have accumulated years of experience working in-house in an HR role. In India, you can make Rs 4,00,852 per annum on average with a private HR consulting practice. And as you take up more assignments, you can expect to get a higher salary.

They ascertain that the department is updated with HR practices. They streamline the processes of recruiting and managing the best candidates for the organisation. They participate in the recruitment process to help the company attract and recruit top talent. They use trademarked databases, shortlist skilled candidates, upload job ads to pertinent platforms, and assess different social media channels. All these tasks are aimed at recruiting the best candidates.

Commonly, HR consultants work with applicants all through the recruitment process. For that, they meet with them, do a background check, participate in interviews, discuss compensation packages, and send the job offer. The average salary of HR in India is determined by considering all the tasks they handle.

List of common tasks that HR consultants perform:

• Recruit employees
• Provide training and development
• Assist with legal compliance
• Establish benefits and compensation
• Guarantee health and well-being in the workplace

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6. Executive Recruiter

Executive recruiters or headhunters are responsible for finding senior executives to fill leadership roles in corporations and large nonprofits. They need to have some idea about the hiring industry to convince prospects to join their client organization. It is a high-responsibility job as it requires you to develop a plan for why a senior professional should leave their current place of work and work for the competitor.

Other than identifying the appropriate skill and culture match from the job market, presenting top talent to the employer company is another vital aspect.

Successful executive search professionals enjoy a handsome remuneration. They get paid on a retainer basis, in full upon a candidate’s presentation, or a portion/percentage of the hired executive’s compensation. PayScale estimated the starting annual earnings of an executive recruiter in India at Rs 4,50,000. 

An Executive Recruiter with some years of experience is offered a decent average salary of HR in India.

Roles and responsibilities of executive recruiter:

• Identify and recruit potential candidates through various channels.
• Evaluating candidates based on their qualifications, culture, and compatibility.
• Organizing confidential interviews, scrutinizing references, and credit

Skills and requirements to become an Executive Recruiter:

• Work experience in recruiting
• In-depth understanding of recruitment processes
• Knowledge of applicants’ selection methods
• Knowledge of market trends and best practices
• Expertise in using recruiting software, candidate databases, and applicant tracking systems (ATS)
• Experience with candidate sourcing tools and methods
• Relationship building skills
• The ability to acquire precise business insight and market insight
• Negotiation and communication skills
• Maintain integrity and privacy

7. International HR Associate

As the title suggests, this HR position comes with global responsibility. International HR associates perform generalist tasks, such as posting jobs, screening applicants, reviewing compensation and benefits packages, and so on. For a multinational corporation, these standard activities have to be adjusted according to the employment markets around the world. Therefore, their role encompasses fine-tuning HR strategies accordingly. 

The pay grade for international associates is slightly higher than their national peers. Moreover, multilingual individuals who have lived experience in certain countries may have an advantage in landing this job position. 

The median annual salary is approximated at Rs 4,65,434. 

HR Associates are responsible for acquiring, recording, and communicating HR transactions within the company. They manage company HR records and assist new employees with staffing procedures. The increasing need to handle human resource-related tasks leads to an increased average salary of HR in India.

Roles and responsibilities of International HR Associate:

• Communicate with prospective job applicants.
• Contact candidate references, verify their academics records, and allot employment contracts
• Manage HR statistics, including worker forms, applicant logs, and resumes
• Issue enrollment documents to new employees
• Conduct employees orientations
• Explain employee benefits
• Respond to HR-related queries in the organization
• Maintain employee confidentiality.

8. Employee Relations Specialist

These specialists act as a bridge between management and labor unions in large corporations. They draw up employment contracts adhering to labor regulations and demands. They also represent their client company in any legal action and sometimes serve as public relations specialists. 

To work as a labor relations specialist, you need to have a sound understanding of the laws, politics, and other issues at the local, state, and national levels. Other must-have competencies include excellent negotiation and communication skills and the ability to write and interpret legal documents. So, Law graduates may find this career path particularly attractive. 

PayScale reports the average total compensation for employee relations professionals in India to be Rs 4,54,505 a year.

Understanding the following responsibilities of an Employee Relations Specialist helps you to embark on the corresponding HR career path in India.

• Collect employee data, organise employee files, and oversee employee training
• Communicate policies related to human resources, benefits, and compensation
• Organise exit interviews
• Use relevant data to prepare employee profiles
• Create and update employee files
• Abide by regulatory standards
• Supervise employee orientation and training
• Advertise the services of the company at college campuses and job fairs

9. HR Director

An HR Director is the person-in-charge of the company-wide policies on recruitment, compensation, promotion, termination, and other human resource areas. It is a senior-level position concerned with setting the tone for all HR activities in the organization. 

Directors are responsible for designing the overall compensation and benefits policy to keep the employee morale and motivation intact. Additionally, they keep a finger on the industry’s pulse and analyze the employer’s paying capacity for different positions. Therefore, budget management, logical reasoning, and leadership qualities are central to their role. 

HR Directors in leading companies can earn as high as Rs 27,50,196 per annum. 

Many people are confused about how much HR earn in India. Well, they are paid a decent salary based on their HR management skills and experience.

Roles and responsibilities of HR director:

• Develop plans and policies for employee benefits, compensation, safety, and health
• Develop and execute strategies for training, development, staffing, and performance evaluation
• Supervise HR staff’s performance and provide guidance
• Supervise all HR activities, systems, initiatives, and strategies.
• Establish employee relations and communicate with labour unions.
• Guarantee compliance with all the applicable legal aspects.
• Sustain and synchronise all activities in the HR department.
• Guarantee grievance redressal and implement disciplinary actions when needed.
• Guarantee compliance with all internal policies and principles.
• Investigate data and report to the senior managers using HR Metrics.
• Participate in company staff meetings and seminars.
• Communicate with external service providers like transport, insurance, housing, etc.
• Create policies to control employee turnover rate and absenteeism.
• Plan policies and programs to improve employee satisfaction and performance

10. Vice President of Human Resources

The Vice President of Human Resources may be referred to as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) in some situations. As a member of executive management, they are closely involved in setting the company’s strategic direction. CHROs oversee every aspect of the HR department and report directly to the CEOs. 

Generally, it would be best if you had at least a decade of progressively responsible work experience to work at this senior position. If you aspire to advance to this stage, master the intricacies of corporate human resources and focus on building your decision-making and judgment skills.  

According to PayScale, a VP position in Corporate HR pays about Rs 21,60,616 yearly. 

The HR career path in India includes developing HR strategies to ensure all HR operations are accomplished efficiently.

Roles and responsibilities of Vice President of Human Resources:

• Develop and deliver project briefs to executives
• Supervise an organisation’s staffing, interview, selection, and hiring procedures
• Plan employee compensation, payroll, health and safety programs
• Supervise the execution of uniform human resource processes
• Abide by all internal policies and legal principles.
• Update old systems like paper-based timesheets and grievance procedures
• Organise benefits programs to appeal to and preserve the best talent
• Collaborate with the technical team to design, incorporate and execute HR software systems for improved efficiency
• Endorse new and enhanced measures for performance assessments.

What to do to build a career in HR?

You can opt for a Global MBA and specialize in a relevant area like Human Resource Management or Strategic Management. It comes with dual certification from LBS and IMT and a week-long immersion program at the university campus. Here is an overview of what these courses intend to teach you: 

• Introduction to HR for Non-HR managers
• Organizational Behaviour as a discipline
• Workforce Planning and Recruitment
• Employee Training and Development 
• Employee Engagement, Retention, and People Performance
• Business Laws and Ethical Concepts
• Business Communication
• Decision Science 
• Enterprise Management
• Business Strategy and Leadership
• Digital Business Innovation
• Change Management for Sustainable Futures
• Case studies from Harvard Business Publishing

While selecting a suitable program, it is best to evaluate the alternatives based on the syllabus, pedagogy, faculty profile, networking opportunities, and career support. Enrolling in an online degree can offer a cost-effective and flexible way to get the same experience as the traditional on-campus counterpart. So, it is advisable to carefully discern your strengths and weaknesses and then choose the route that best aligns with your needs. 

The modern relevance of the HR profession

Strategic management, in essence, is about decision-making with a long-term perspective. It focuses on taking actions that lead to superior performance, continually adjusting the three poles of senior management, external environment, and internal resources.

The Harvard Framework on HRM says that organizations need to form a comprehensive view of human resources as viable assets instead of variable costs. And an entity that succeeds in doing so would develop such attributes that allow it to outperform its competitors. 

The coronavirus outbreak in 2020 has highlighted the link between HRM and business goals. Moreover, it has always been a challenge for companies to build and retain a strong talent pipeline. Employers need to adjust to the shifting workforce requirements and give preference to revitalize their organizations with the use of new technologies and capacity building initiatives. 

Closing Remarks 

The above information on the highest paying HR jobs in India would assist you in your career planning process. You now understand what to expect from a learning program and make an informed choice regarding your higher studies. If you are a job-seeker, knowing about the highest salary HR jobs in India pay to qualified candidates would be useful.

And if you are already working, you can use the details to identify your skill gaps and advance up the professional ladder. The takeaway here is that we need to be aware of the industry requirements, adapt according to the situation, and realize our true potential by staying curious! 

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