Careers / Compensation and Benefits Managers
Compensation and Benefits Managers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$149,230
United States, 2025
Employment
22,940
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
- O*NET code
- 11-3111.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Administer, direct, and review employee benefit programs, including the integration of benefit programs following mergers and acquisitions.
- Mediate between benefits providers and employees, such as by assisting in handling employees' benefits-related questions or taking suggestions.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$89,160
25th percentile
$113,170
75th percentile
$200,610
90th percentile
$256,570
Most important skills
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Management of Personnel Resources3.6
- Time Management3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Monitoring3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 22 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
22
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Management of Financial Resources | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Compensation and Benefits ManagersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | $221,800 | 40 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $218,860 | 230 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $216,580 | 340 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $215,180 | 320 | 2025 |
| WA | $199,190 | 460 | 2025 |
| CT | $197,970 | 480 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $188,850 | 590 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $186,700 | 60 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $185,590 | 590 | 2025 |
| MA | $184,070 | 670 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $179,730 | 2,420 | 2025 |
| NY | $175,620 | 2,260 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $171,950 | 590 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $168,850 | 230 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $168,540 | 180 | 2025 |
| NJ | $168,370 | 950 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $167,450 | 300 | 2025 |
| CA | $166,730 | 2,970 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $166,100 | 760 | 2025 |
| DE | $166,070 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Compensation and Benefits Managers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.