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Major · Business, Management & Marketing

A catchall HR code housing specialized human-resources tracks

Human Resources Management and Services, Other (CIP 52.1099) is the catchall code for HR programs that don’t fit the named CIPs in the 52.10xx family. About 289 students complete it across 21 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning $68,886 in five-year tracked wages — read the syllabus, not the CIP code.

Schools offering
21
Annual completions
289
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$67k

About this major

Human Resources Management and Services, Other (CIP 52.1099) is the catchall code in the 52.10xx HR family for programs that don’t fit the named sub-disciplines. The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in human resources management not listed above. Schools commonly slot specialized tracks under this code — HR analytics, HR technology, compensation and benefits, talent management, diversity-equity-inclusion, employee relations — when the program doesn’t map cleanly to Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General (52.1001), Labor and Industrial Relations (52.1002), Organizational Behavior Studies (52.1003), or Human Resources Development (52.1005). Specific program content varies considerably by institution, so the syllabus and required courses matter more than the CIP label.

The major fits students drawn to the operational and legal mechanics of managing people inside organizations — recruiting, compensation design, employee relations, workforce analytics, training programs — and willing to layer the SHRM-CP, PHR, or HRCI certification ladder on top of the bachelor’s for stronger employer recognition. Programs reward comfort with both quantitative work (compensation analysis, HR metrics, workforce planning) and the interpersonal dimensions of employee relations and labor law. The named BLS destinations in the packet are HR specialist at $72,910 with 6.2% projected growth and HR assistant at $49,440 with -7.1% projected growth, the latter shrinking as platforms like Workday, Greenhouse, and Lattice automate coordination work.

One grounded observation about scale and concentration: 289 students complete this CIP across 21 institutions, with Colorado State University Global producing 128 graduates (about 44% of national output) and Michigan State University adding 75. Two schools alone account for over 70% of national completions in this code. Bachelor’s graduates earn $68,886 in five-year tracked wages, while associate’s completers land at $54,291 — a gap of about $14,595 per year that mirrors the bachelor’s/associate’s split throughout the HR career landscape.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Human resources specialists $73k +6.2% Bachelor's degree
Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping $49k -7.1% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$67k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$54k

Bachelor's

$69k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if your target school slots a focused HR track you actually want — HR analytics, compensation and benefits, talent management, employee relations, HR technology, or DEI — under this catchall rather than a named CIP, you’re willing to layer the SHRM-CP, PHR, or HRCI certifications on top of the bachelor’s to firm up the credential signal, you’re comfortable with both the quantitative side of HR (compensation analysis, workforce metrics) and the legal-relational side (employee relations, employment law), the bachelor’s wage profile of $68,886 in five-year tracked earnings fits your expectations, and Colorado State University Global, Michigan State, or another listed school is genuinely your best fit on cost, location, and program substance.

Think twice if the named CIP 52.1001 (Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General) is offered at a school you can attend — at 6,907 completions versus 289 here, the General CIP is 24 times larger and offers a more standardized curriculum with clearer employer recognition. Reconsider if your goal is union and collective-bargaining work, where Labor and Industrial Relations (52.1002, 1,005 completions) is the better-mapped credential, or if behavioral-science framings of workplace dynamics interest you more than HR operations, where Organizational Behavior Studies (52.1003, 1,821 completions) fits better. Pause if you’re aiming at the HR-assistant lane as a terminal destination — that role shows -7.1% projected growth and a $49,440 median as HR-tech platforms automate coordination work. The durable lanes (HR business partner roles in technical organizations, compensation-and-benefits analysis, organizational-development work, employee-relations specialization) typically expect the bachelor’s plus certification, sometimes paired with a master’s or JD for senior roles in DEI strategy or labor relations.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Human Resources Management and Services, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Colorado State University Global Denver, CO 0 128 128
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 0 75 75
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK 0 37 37
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 0 25 25
Excelsior University Albany, NY 0 11 11
Immaculata University Immaculata, PA 0 8 8
Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish, ME 0 2 2
Dordt University Sioux Center, IA 0 1 1
Villanova University Villanova, PA 0 1 1
Lynn University Boca Raton, FL 0 1 1
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General

6,907 completions/yr

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

3,164 completions/yr

Organizational Behavior Studies

1,821 completions/yr

Labor and Industrial Relations

1,005 completions/yr

Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other

969 completions/yr

Human Resources Development

463 completions/yr

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other

306 completions/yr

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other

256 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Human Resources Management and Services, Other field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Human Resources Management and Services, Other worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this catchall HR CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in human resources management not listed above. In practice, this code houses HR programs that don’t map cleanly to Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General (52.1001), Labor and Industrial Relations (52.1002), Organizational Behavior Studies (52.1003), or Human Resources Development (52.1005). Schools commonly slot specialized tracks here — HR analytics, HR technology, compensation and benefits, talent management, diversity-equity-inclusion, employee relations — when the program doesn’t fit a named CIP. Specific program content varies considerably by institution, so the catalog and required courses matter more than the CIP label.
Why are completions so low — only 289 graduates nationally?
The scarcity reflects administrative grouping rather than student demand for HR. Most universities roll their HR students into the much larger Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General (52.1001), which posts 6,907 completions — roughly 24 times this code. The 21 institutions that report under 52.1099 typically run a track that doesn’t fit the General CIP cleanly. Colorado State University Global alone produces 128 of the 289 completions (about 44%), and Michigan State adds 75 — meaning two schools account for over 70% of national output.
How does this compare to the named CIPs in the 52.10xx HR family?
The named siblings vary widely in size and focus. Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General (CIP 52.1001) is the dominant pathway at 6,907 completions — 24 times this CIP — and covers the standard HR generalist curriculum. Organizational Behavior Studies (52.1003, 1,821 completions) takes a behavioral-science angle on workplace dynamics. Labor and Industrial Relations (52.1002, 1,005) narrows to unions, collective bargaining, and labor law. Human Resources Development (52.1005, 463) focuses on training and employee development. Pick a named CIP if your school offers it — clearer employer recognition and a more standardized curriculum.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The packet lists two BLS career destinations. HR specialists ($72,910 median wage, 6.2% projected growth, bachelor’s-degree entry) is the standard target for bachelor’s completers. HR assistants ($49,440 median, -7.1% projected growth, associate’s-degree entry) is the lower lane and is contracting as Workday, Greenhouse, Lattice, and similar platforms automate coordination work. Bachelor’s graduates in this CIP earn $68,886 in five-year tracked wages, just below the HR specialist median. Stronger five-year outcomes typically follow the SHRM-CP, PHR, or HRCI certification ladder layered on top of the bachelor’s.
Is the HR-assistant track a viable entry point given the projected decline?
It’s a thinning lane. HR assistants show -7.1% projected growth and a $49,440 median wage — the role most exposed to HR-tech automation. HRIS platforms now handle scheduling, applicant routing, onboarding paperwork, and benefits enrollment that used to define the HR-assistant job. The bachelor’s-track HR specialist role at $72,910 with 6.2% growth holds up better, and the durable mid-career lanes — HR business partner work in technical organizations, compensation-and-benefits analysis, organizational-development consulting, employee-relations specialization — typically expect a bachelor’s and often a SHRM-CP or PHR certification.
Is a bachelor’s meaningfully better than an associate’s for this major?
The data shows a real split. Bachelor’s completers in this CIP earn $68,886 in five-year tracked wages, while associate’s completers land at $54,291 — a gap of about $14,595 per year. The associate’s qualifies for HR-assistant work, but that role shows -7.1% projected growth and a $49,440 median. The bachelor’s qualifies for HR-specialist work at $72,910 and 6.2% growth, and is the typical entry credential for the comp-and-benefits, employee-relations, and HRBP lanes that hold up against automation.