Compensation and Benefits Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
What it pays
Compensation and Benefits Managers earn a median of $71.75/hr — about $149,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $42.86/hr; the top 10% earn $123.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Compensation and Benefits Managers earn a median of $71.75/hr — about $149,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $42.86/hr; the top 10% earn $123.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies.
- Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements.
- Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
- Analyze compensation policies, government regulations, and prevailing wage rates to develop competitive compensation plan.
- Identify and implement benefits to increase the quality of life for employees by working with brokers and researching benefits issues.
- Manage the design and development of tools to assist employees in benefits selection, and to guide managers through compensation decisions.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.4% of compensation and benefits managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Human Resources Managers
- Sales Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Public Relations Managers
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- Training and Development Managers
Quick questions
- How much does a compensation and benefits manager make?
- The median pay is $71.75 per hour — roughly $149,000 a year, with the real range running from about $42.86/hr (10th percentile) to $123.35/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a compensation and benefits manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a compensation and benefits manager actually do all day?
- Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies. Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements. Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.