Best Companies for 42A HR Specialists: Top Human Resources Employers (2025)
Top 20+ companies actively hiring 42A HR Specialist veterans with salaries $70K-$180K+. Includes Fortune 500 companies, tech firms, and HR service providers.
Bottom Line Up Front
42A HR Specialists are actively recruited by 20+ major Fortune 500 companies and HR service providers offering salaries from $70,000-$180,000+. Best employers provide: veteran hiring programs, tuition assistance for HR certifications (SHRM, PHR), sign-on bonuses ($3K-$15K), advancement to HR manager/director roles. Top sectors: Fortune 500 HR ($85K-$160K), Tech Company HR ($80K-$170K), HR Services ($75K-$140K), Government HR ($75K-$155K). Companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, SHRM, Mercer, and major corporations actively recruit 42A veterans for HR and talent management roles.
Why Companies Recruit 42A Veterans
Major corporations understand: 42A HR Specialists bring organizational management, personnel administration, and leadership training expertise.
You've managed personnel records, coordinated training, understood military HR systems, resolved personnel issues, and managed compliance. Companies recruiting 42A veterans get:
- Organizational management understanding
- Personnel administration expertise
- Training and development background
- Compliance and procedures knowledge
- Leadership from military training
- Reliability and discretion handling sensitive information
- Documentation skills and procedures
The companies below actively recruit HR specialists and provide advancement to HR manager and executive roles.
Fortune 500 Companies
1. Google
- HR Specialist: $85K-$125K
- HR Manager: $130K-$180K
- Senior Manager: $170K-$240K+
- Tech giant HR department
- Veteran recruitment
- Excellent benefits
- Career advancement
2. Amazon
- HR Specialist: $80K-$120K
- HR Manager: $130K-$185K
- Senior Manager: $175K-$250K+
- Rapidly expanding HR team
- Veteran program
- Fast-growing company
- Stock options
3. Microsoft
- HR Specialist: $80K-$120K
- HR Manager: $130K-$175K
- Senior Manager: $170K-$240K+
- Tech corporation HR
- Veteran recruitment
- Strong benefits
- Career development
4. Apple
- HR Specialist: $85K-$125K
- HR Manager: $135K-$190K
- Senior Manager: $180K-$260K+
- Premium tech company
- Veteran program
- Excellent compensation
- Growth opportunities
5. JPMorgan Chase
- HR Specialist: $85K-$130K
- HR Manager: $140K-$200K
- Senior Manager: $200K-$300K+
- Major financial corporation
- Veteran recruitment
- High compensation
- Career advancement
Technology and Growth Companies
6. Meta (Facebook)
- HR Specialist: $90K-$135K
- HR Manager: $145K-$210K
- Senior Manager: $210K-$300K+
- Tech company growth
- Veteran hiring
- Stock options
- Executive advancement
7. Salesforce
- HR Specialist: $80K-$120K
- HR Manager: $130K-$180K
- Senior Manager: $180K-$260K+
- Cloud software company
- Veteran program
- Work-life balance focus
- Career development
8. Netflix
- HR Specialist: $95K-$145K
- HR Manager: $150K-$220K
- Streaming entertainment
- Veteran recruitment
- Premium compensation
- High-performance culture
9. Atlassian
- HR Specialist: $85K-$130K
- HR Manager: $140K-$210K
- Tech software company
- Veteran program
- Remote-friendly
- Career growth
HR Service Companies
10. ADP (Automatic Data Processing)
- HR Consultant: $80K-$125K
- Senior Consultant: $120K-$165K
- Manager: $155K-$230K+
- Leading payroll/HR provider
- Veteran recruitment
- Widespread presence
- Career advancement
11. Paychex
- HR Services Specialist: $75K-$115K
- Senior Consultant: $115K-$160K
- Manager: $150K-$220K+
- Payroll/HR services
- Veteran program
- Career development
- Regional presence
12. Mercer (HR Consulting)
- HR Consultant: $85K-$135K
- Senior Consultant: $135K-$190K
- Manager: $190K-$280K+
- Major consulting firm
- Veteran recruitment
- Prestigious firm
- Global opportunities
13. Willis Towers Watson (HR Consulting)
- HR Specialist: $80K-$125K
- Consultant: $125K-$175K
- Senior Manager: $175K-$270K+
- Benefits/HR consulting
- Veteran program
- Career development
Industry-Specific HR
14. Deloitte (HR Consulting)
- Analyst: $95K-$130K
- Consultant: $135K-$185K
- Senior Consultant: $190K-$280K+
- Management consulting
- Veteran recruitment
- Partner track available
- Executive advancement
15. SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)
- HR Specialist: $70K-$110K
- Manager: $110K-$160K
- Director: $160K-$240K+
- Professional HR association
- Career-focused mission
- Industry leadership
- Veteran program
Government and Federal HR
16. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- HR Specialist (GS-9): $75K-$110K
- Senior Specialist (GS-11): $110K-$165K+
- Manager: $155K-$240K+
- Federal HR government
- Federal career
- Excellent benefits
- Pension and security
17. Federal Agencies (OPM Hiring)
- HR Specialist: GS-7-9 ($60K-$110K)
- HR Manager: GS-11+ ($110K-$180K+)
- All federal agencies
- Federal career path
- Veterans preference
- Federal benefits and pension
18. Department of Defense (Human Resources Command)
- HR Specialist (GS-7): $60K-$95K
- HR Manager (GS-11+): $110K-$180K+
- Military HR operations
- Federal career
- Familiar environment
- Federal benefits
How to Maximize Your Chances
1. Emphasize HR Management Experience
Don't write: "42A HR Specialist, processed personnel records"
Do write: "Human resources professional with expertise in personnel administration, training coordination, organizational management, and HR operations"
2. Highlight Key Skills
- Personnel administration and records
- Training program development and coordination
- Compensation and benefits
- Employee relations and conflict resolution
- Compliance and procedures
- Documentation and documentation systems
- Numbers: "Managed records for 500+ personnel," "Coordinated 100+ training events," "Resolved 50+ personnel issues"
3. Get HR Certifications
- SHRM-CP: HR professional certification ($200-300 exam)
- PHR: Professional in Human Resources
- CIPHR: Consulting certification
- Certifications increase earning potential $10K-$20K
4. Target Tech and Growth Companies
- Higher pay than traditional companies
- Faster career advancement
- Stock options/equity possible
- Innovative HR practices
- Better benefits
5. Strategic Application
- Apply to 20-30+ companies
- Target both specialist and manager positions
- Consider Fortune 500 for job security
- Look for advancement to director/executive roles
- Build HR expertise in specializations
Salary Progression Summary
Entry-Level:
- HR Specialist: $70,000-$105,000
- HR Coordinator: $65,000-$95,000
Mid-Level (3-5 years):
- HR Manager: $110,000-$170,000
- Senior Specialist: $105,000-$150,000
- Compensation Manager: $120,000-$180,000
Senior-Level (5-10 years):
- Senior HR Manager: $160,000-$240,000
- Director of HR: $200K-$320K+
- VP of Human Resources: $280K-$450K+
Executive (10+ years):
- VP/C-Level HR: $300K-$500K+
- Chief Human Resources Officer: $400K-$800K+
Bonuses: 10-30% of base common in corporate HR
Bottom Line for 42A HR Specialists
Your HR and organizational management expertise is highly valued by major corporations and HR service providers.
Immediate opportunities (30-90 days): HR specialist roles ($75K-$115K), government HR positions
Medium-term (1-3 years): HR manager positions ($120K-$180K), senior specialist roles
Long-term (3-10+ years): Director and VP roles ($200K-$350K+), executive/C-level positions ($400K-$800K+)
Your 42A HR background opens doors at every major corporation and HR service firm.
Ready to apply? Use the career planning tools at Military Transition Toolkit to research companies and track applications.