Roles › Chief Executive Officer › Chief People Officer › People Operations & HRIS

People / HR

What does a HRIS Analyst do?

Run HR systems, payroll, and the administrative backbone.

Steady demand Team: People Operations & HRIS Reports into: Chief People Officer

What they actually do

Administer the HRIS; payroll processing.
Onboarding/offboarding workflows; records; compliance reporting.
HR reporting and people analytics (sometimes here).

Hiring demand

Steady demand. Regular postings, but fewer than the busiest roles. Expect a longer search or more specialization.

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Who they work with

FinanceITHRBPs

Typical tools

Workday / BambooHRPayroll systemsPower BI

Skills to get there

Systems
Accuracy
Process

Title ladder

Common titles for this role at each level. Companies vary; see Role titles decoded.

Level	Typical titles
Entry	Junior / Associate HRIS Analyst · HRIS Analyst I
Mid	HRIS Analyst · HRIS Analyst II
Senior	Senior HRIS Analyst · Lead HRIS Analyst
Expert (IC track)	Staff / Principal HRIS Analyst
Management track	Manager, People Operations & HRIS → Director of People Operations & HRIS → VP

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Searching for: HRIS Analyst · anywhere in the US · change

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How to get here

Salary (US) as of 2026-11

Median$99K

Typical range$75K–$123K

Sources:

BLS folds HRIS analysts into HR Specialists, which understates Workday-skilled roles; Glassdoor and a 2026 posting agree on a $75K-$125K band. No sourced senior figure.

Experience to get here

Entry level1-2 years

Typical title2-5 years

Bachelor's or equivalent experience; majors vary (HR, business, information systems). Hands-on Workday/ERP experience matters more than major.

Typical prior roles

HR Coordinator / HR GeneralistPayroll SpecialistIT business analyst or systems analystData analystWorkday implementation consultant

Must have

1+ years supporting Workday or a comparable HR/ERP platform
Translating HR business needs into system configuration
Mass data loads (EIB) and data integrity audits
Advanced Excel; reporting/dashboards
Troubleshooting and release testing

Milestones people hit first

Configured and launched a Workday module or business process
Owned a semi-annual release test cycle
Built the headcount or turnover reports HR leadership relies on

Certifications

Workday Pro certification (HCM, Reporting, Integrations, etc.)Workday

Preferredin postings: often

Exam fee	not published
Training	pricing on request; priced in Workday training credits through your employer (customer or partner affiliation required)
Renewal	not stated; discounted refresher training offered
Typical total	pricing on request

Time: recommended learning path plus required exam, per product area
Prerequisites: affiliation with a Workday customer or partner

'One or more Workday certifications' preferred in 2026 HRIS postings; you cannot buy it independently.

SAP Certified Associate - SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core (C_THR81)SAP

Preferredin postings: sometimes

Exam fee	not published
Training	requires an SAP Learning Hub subscription that includes exam attempts; price not published by the vendor
Renewal	not stated; exam versions refresh roughly yearly
Typical total	pricing on request

Time: learning journey plus one exam attempt
Prerequisites: none formal; SAP Universal ID; aimed at partner consultants

The SuccessFactors equivalent of Workday Pro for companies on SAP.

SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)SHRM

Nice to havein postings: rarely

Exam fee	$499
Training	self-study $0-300; prep courses vary
Renewal	60 PDCs / 3 years; $165 member, $210 nonmember
Typical total	$399-1,500 (member exam $399 / non-member $499; early bird $350 / $450)

Time: 3-4 months study
Prerequisites: HR or HR-related work

Not named in HRIS postings; useful if the role blends into HR operations.

Training & learning

Workday Pro program overview Workday · learning path · via employer training credits · varies by product areaThe only official route to Workday certification; ask your HR tech lead for seats.
How to get Workday certified (paths and eligibility) FREE Healthcare IT Leaders · course · free · 15 minutesPlain explanation of the customer/partner eligibility rules before you chase a cert.
SAP Learning (self-paced learning journeys) FREE SAP · learning path · self-paced content free; certification via Learning Hub subscription · variesFree SuccessFactors learning journeys for SAP shops.
People Analytics FREE Wharton / Coursera · course · free to enroll; certificate paid · ~12 hoursHRIS analysts own the data people analytics runs on.
SQL Tutorial (formerly Mode) FREE ThoughtSpot · course · free · 10-20 hoursNeeded for integrations, data audits and reporting beyond Workday's report writer.
AIHR Digital HR 2.0 certificate (Full Academy Access) AIHR · learning path · $1,850/yr (all 17 programs) · self-pacedVendor-neutral HR technology and process design curriculum.

Sources & notes

Workday and SAP do not publish certification prices (Workday uses training credits; SAP requires a Learning Hub subscription), so both are 'pricing on request'. Workday certification requires customer/partner affiliation, which is the main caveat for job seekers. Only one HRIS posting loaded; Insight Global's failed.

Figures are US, from the sources listed, and change often; verify before deciding.

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