Compensation and Benefits Managers

11-3111.00 Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation Needed

Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.

Also known as: Benefits Admin (Benefits Administrator), Benefits Advisor, Benefits Coordinator, Benefits Director, Benefits Manager, Compensation and Benefits Director, Compensation and Benefits Manager, Compensation Director, ...

Annual Salary

$140,360

Median annual wage (May 2024)

$105,210 25th – 75th percentile $190,890

10th percentile $81,660

90th percentile $208,000+

U.S. Employment: 20,070

Job Outlook

+0.2%

Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Slower than average)

Annual Job Openings 1,500 per year (avg. 2024–2034)

Typical education: Bachelor's degree

Experience: 5 years or more

What You'd Do

Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies.
Administer, direct, and review employee benefit programs, including the integration of benefit programs following mergers and acquisitions.
Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
Identify and implement benefits to increase the quality of life for employees by working with brokers and researching benefits issues.
Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements.
Analyze compensation policies, government regulations, and prevailing wage rates to develop competitive compensation plan.
Formulate policies, procedures and programs for recruitment, testing, placement, classification, orientation, benefits and compensation, and labor and industrial relations.
Mediate between benefits providers and employees, such as by assisting in handling employees' benefits-related questions or taking suggestions.
Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Develop methods to improve employment policies, processes, and practices, and recommend changes to management.

Prepare detailed job descriptions and classification systems and define job levels and families, in partnership with other managers.
Manage the design and development of tools to assist employees in benefits selection, and to guide managers through compensation decisions.
Study legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess industry trends.
Advise management on such matters as equal employment opportunity, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
Plan and conduct new-employee orientations to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data, such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates.
Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems, and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.
Negotiate bargaining agreements.
Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
Prepare budgets for personnel operations.

Top Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.0

Active Listening 4.0

Writing 4.0

Speaking 4.0

Judgment and Decision Making 3.9

Critical Thinking 3.9

Active Learning 3.8

Management of Personnel Resources 3.6

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Knowledge Areas

Personnel and Human Resources 4.4

English Language 4.1

Administration and Management 4.0

Customer and Personal Service 3.8

Economics and Accounting 3.4

Mathematics 3.3

Administrative 3.1

Law and Government 3.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level

Bachelor's

76.2%

Master's

14.3%

Post-Bacc Cert

9.5%

Technology & Tools

Software and tools commonly used in this role

In-Demand Technologies

Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Intuit QuickBooks Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft SharePoint Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft Visio Microsoft Word Oracle PeopleSoft SAP software Structured query language SQL Workday software

Other Tools

!Trak-it Solutions !Trak-it HR Adobe Dreamweaver Adobe PageMaker ADP Employease ADP HR/Benefits Solution ADP Workforce Now AdRelevance Apex Business Software iHR Apple iMovie Ascentis HR ASL HR Director Asure Software HCM Atlas Business Solutions Staff Files

Work Styles

Personality traits and work styles important for this career

2.7

Dependability

2.6

Attention to Detail

2.4

Integrity

2.1

Leadership Orientation

2.1

Cautiousness

1.8

Cooperation

1.8

Achievement Orientation

Key Abilities

Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role

Oral Comprehension 4.0

Written Comprehension 4.0

Oral Expression 4.0

Written Expression 4.0

Problem Sensitivity 3.8

Speech Clarity 3.8

Speech Recognition 3.6

Deductive Reasoning 3.5

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Activities

General types of job behaviors occurring on this job

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.5

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships 4.4

Getting Information 4.3

Working with Computers 4.3

Making Decisions and Solving Problems 4.2

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards 4.2

Communicating with People Outside the Organization 4.1

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge 4.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Environment

Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work

E-Mail

5.0

Telephone Conversations

5.0

Spend Time Sitting

4.9

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

4.7

Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals

4.5

Contact With Others

4.4

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

4.4

Freedom to Make Decisions

4.3

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

4.2

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

4.1

Written Letters and Memos

4.1

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

3.9

Related Careers

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First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

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Management Analysts

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Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

$55K

Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

$52K

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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.