How we measure a skill's pay premium
We read 30,842 HR job descriptions and noted which skills and HR systems each one asks for. The pay premium compares postings that mention a skill with similar postings that don't, with the same role, level and country, so a skill common in senior US roles doesn't look valuable just because of where it appears.
HR skills employers ask for, and what they pay
| Skill | Share of HR postings | Pay vs similar postings |
|---|---|---|
| HR analytics and Excel | 26% | +1.6% |
| HR policies and compliance | 22% | +0.1% |
| Compensation and benefits | 21% | +6.3% |
| HRIS administration | 19% | −1.8% |
| Payroll processing | 17% | −5.9% |
| Onboarding | 15% | −9.8% |
| Engagement and retention | 15% | +2.0% |
| GDPR and confidentiality | 13% | +2.4% |
| Sourcing and headhunting | 12% | +2.1% |
| Interviewing and assessment | 11% | −5.4% |
| Labour law | 10% | +4.9% |
| Employee relations | 9% | +0.4% |
| Diversity, equity and inclusion | 9% | −7.6% |
| ATS and recruiting tools | 8% | −2.0% |
| Training design and delivery | 8% | −4.9% |
The skills with a premium are the ones close to money and risk: compensation and benefits, labour law and GDPR and confidentiality. Skills that every HR job lists, such as HR policies and compliance and employee relations, don't move pay either way. Some skills come with lower pay, such as diversity, equity and inclusion and onboarding: they appear most in entry-level and coordinator postings.
HR systems that pay more
| HR system or tool | Share of HR postings | Pay vs similar postings |
|---|---|---|
| SAP SuccessFactors | 2.4% | +14.5% |
| SQL | 1.0% | +12.7% |
| Greenhouse | 1.4% | +10.2% |
| Ashby | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| Lever | 0.8% | +8.0% |
| Rippling | 0.7% | +5.7% |
| Workday | 11.3% | +4.7% |
| Deel | 1.1% | +0.9% |
| LinkedIn Recruiter | 3.0% | +0.3% |
| UKG | 1.2% | −0.1% |
| Google Sheets | 0.7% | −0.7% |
| ADP | 2.9% | −4.6% |
| Excel | 16.6% | −9.9% |
| Power BI | 1.5% | −10.8% |
Experience with SAP SuccessFactors, SQL and Greenhouse come with the largest premiums: these systems run in large employers with complex HR operations. Spreadsheet tools are asked for everywhere and pay less, because they appear most in administrative roles.
Frequently asked questions
›Which HR skill pays the most?
Compensation and benefits: postings that ask for it pay +6.3% compared with similar HR postings without it.
›What is the most in-demand HR skill?
HR analytics and Excel, asked for in 26% of HR job postings.
›Does knowing an HRIS increase HR salary?
It depends on the system. SAP SuccessFactors comes with +14.5%, SQL with +12.7%.