BUSINESS, FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT

HR Manager

Hires, trains and supports employees, and handles pay, policies and workplace relations.

Any stream; any degree After a degree Private sector

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Meeting and helping different kinds of people every day
Seeing a new hire settle in well or a team grow
Solving problems that mix people, rules and business needs

It may not suit you if you dislike

Delivering bad news, such as layoffs, pay cuts or disciplinary action
Desk-bound work with many meetings, deadlines and paperwork
Needing 2 years of study and several years of experience to reach senior posts

Class 11–12 subjects: Any stream from Class 11 and 12 works. Arts, Commerce or Science are all open. Good English, maths for pay calculations, and comfort with people help a lot.
First degree: A bachelor's degree in any subject (BBA, BA, B.Com or similar), then an MBA or PGDM in Human Resources, which takes 2 years.
Entrance exams: For MBA or PGDM admission, a management entrance score such as CAT, XAT, MAT or CMAT. Each institute sets its own cut-offs and selection steps.
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamAny stream; any degree.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Recruiting and interviewing candidates, onboarding new staff, training, managing pay and benefits, writing HR policies, handling employee complaints, and making sure the company follows labour laws.

A day in the work
A typical morning starts with checking emails and a list of candidates for interviews. Late morning you may sit in on interviews or meet a manager about a vacancy. In the afternoon you might handle an employee query on leave, salary or a complaint, and check that a policy is followed. The day often ends with updating reports or planning next month's training session.

The path, step by step

Class 10–12Any stream is fine. Build English speaking and writing skills, and take part in school clubs, debates or events where you lead or organise a group.
After Class 12Complete a bachelor's degree in any subject, such as BBA, BA or B.Com. Most MBA and PGDM colleges ask for at least 50% marks, or 45% for reserved categories. (reported — check with the official body)
Final year of degreeSit an MBA or PGDM entrance test such as CAT, XAT, MAT or CMAT. Final-year degree students can usually apply, but must finish the degree before joining. (reported — check with the official body)
2 yearsDo an MBA with HR specialisation from a university, or a PGDM in HR from an AICTE-approved institute. Many courses include internships and live projects. (reported — check with the official body)
Early careerStart as an HR trainee or HR executive. Plan on about 3 to 7 years of experience before you move up to HR manager.

Ways in

Work first, then studyJoin a company as an HR trainee or executive with a degree, and learn on the job. Some people do an MBA or PGDM later, part-time or online, to move up.
Full-time MBA or PGDMGo straight from the degree to a 2-year MBA or PGDM in HR, then apply for HR roles through campus placements or job portals.

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (any stream)	2 years	Your school's fees	—	—
Bachelor's degree (any subject, e.g. BBA, BA, B.Com)	3 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	—
MBA/PGDM entrance test (CAT, XAT, MAT or CMAT), route 1: full-time MBA or PGDM	1 day exam	CAT 2026: ₹2,700 (General, EWS, NC-OBC); ₹1,350 (SC, ST, PwBD). Non-refundable. Registration closed; check the notice	Check the notice for your exam	—
MBA with HR specialisation or PGDM in HR, route 2: full-time (government/IIM Indore)	2 years	IIM Indore PGP-HRM: ₹10,35,000 course fee per year (2026–27), excluding textbooks, mess and deposits	—	No stipend or scholarship figure found on the page
MBA/PGDM in HR (private route): IMI New Delhi PGDM, self-sponsored	2 years	—	IMI New Delhi PGDM: ₹24,03,000 total for two years, including ₹15,000 security deposit; hostel and mess extra	IMI tuition fee waiver for a limited number of candidates with family income below ₹8 lakh a year
Early career: HR trainee or executive (work-first route)	3–7 years to HR manager	Paid job; no pay figure on the page	Paid job; no pay figure on the page	Paid training on the job

Total timeAbout 5 years after Class 12 for a full-time MBA or PGDM, plus 3–7 years of experience before HR manager

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages; the listed MBA/PGDM fees run from ₹10,35,000 (IIM Indore, per year) to ₹24,03,000 (IMI New Delhi, total).

Good to knowFees are from official college pages but the page gives no fee for the degree, and the IIM Indore figure is per year while IMI's is a two-year total; check each college before deciding.

Fees from: Delhi NCR AICTE-approved PGDM fee guide (reported, not an official fee page) · IIM Indore PGP-HRM fee structure 2026-28 (PDF, official) · IIM Indore PGP-HRM fee structure page (official) · IMI New Delhi PGDM fee structure (official) · CAT 2026 official site (fee figures taken from secondary reports of the notification; official PDF not opened). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Pay depends a lot on your experience, the city you work in, and the size and type of employer. Freshers start much lower than people who have spent years in HR roles, and large companies usually pay more than small firms.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~HR is just hiring people and firing people.~~

Fact: Hiring is only one part. HR also handles pay and benefits, training, company policies, labour law compliance and workplace disputes.

Try it now

Class 7–9Read the National Career Service page for Human Resource Manager. Note the tasks, and ask yourself which of them you would like to do.Open link ↗
Class 10–12Join a school debate, class committee or event team this month. Practise leading a small group task, such as planning a school function with a budget.
College or afterEnrol in the free SWAYAM course on HRM Strategy Execution from IIM Bangalore, a short 6-week course. Learn the basics of recruitment and performance management before you pick an MBA.Open link ↗

Good to know

No licence is needed to work as an HR manager. Employers usually look for an MBA or PGDM for management posts, and experience counts for a lot.
An MBA is a university degree. A PGDM is a diploma from an institute, approved by AICTE, that is generally treated as equal to an MBA. Check the approval before you pay fees.
HR work includes hard conversations, such as layoffs, discipline cases and pay disputes. It is people-focused but not always comfortable.

Sources: National Career Service (Ministry of Labour & Employment): Human Resource Manager occupation page · National Classification of Occupations 2015, Vol I (NCS, Ministry of Labour & Employment) · IMS Ghaziabad: PGDM in HR, eligibility and AIU equivalence (institute page, reported) · CAT 2026 eligibility overview (Career Launcher, reported; official notice not opened)