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Compensation and Benefits Manager

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What Do Compensation and Benefits Manager Do?

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

Life As a Benefits Manager: What Do They Do?

  • Negotiate bargaining agreements.
  • Analyze compensation policies, government regulations, and prevailing wage rates to develop competitive compensation plan.
  • Advise management on such matters as equal employment opportunity, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
  • Manage the design and development of tools to assist employees in benefits selection, and to guide managers through compensation decisions.
  • Design, evaluate and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements.
  • Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.

Benefits Manager Needed Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Compensation and Benefits Managers say are important on the job.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

  • Compensation Director
  • Employee Benefits Director
  • Compensation and Benefits Manager
  • Field Advisor
  • Compensation Manager

Is There Going to be Demand for Compensation and Benefits Managers?

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 15,800 jobs in the United States for Compensation and Benefits Manager. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.1% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 800 new jobs for Compensation and Benefits Manager by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,200 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Benefits Manager are Utah, Washington, and Arkansas. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, North Dakota, or New Mexico. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What is the Average Salary of a Benefits Manager

The typical yearly salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is somewhere between $70,560 and $205,470.

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Compensation and Benefits Managers who work in Delaware, New Jersey, or Colorado, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Compensation and Benefits Managers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $108,580
Alaska $101,670
Arizona $105,980
Arkansas $103,740
California $150,480
Colorado $155,570
Connecticut $164,240
Delaware $174,380
District of Columbia $136,050
Florida $108,330
Georgia $125,710
Idaho $87,100
Illinois $126,470
Indiana $102,850
Iowa $113,390
Kansas $112,330
Kentucky $95,820
Louisiana $84,970
Maine $106,200
Maryland $149,160
Massachusetts $131,250
Michigan $133,450
Minnesota $139,350
Mississippi $86,740
Missouri $126,480
Nebraska $118,870
Nevada $121,620
New Hampshire $123,170
New Jersey $174,730
New Mexico $119,050
New York $161,950
North Carolina $128,400
Ohio $128,020
Oklahoma $104,800
Oregon $108,130
Pennsylvania $144,320
South Carolina $102,540
Tennessee $102,550
Texas $118,400
Utah $100,330
Virginia $148,800
Washington $143,180
West Virginia $117,970
Wisconsin $114,280

What Tools & Technology do Compensation and Benefits Managers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Compensation and Benefits Managers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Microsoft Access
  • SAP
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
  • Structured query language SQL
  • IBM Notes
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver

How to Become a Benefits Manager

Are there Compensation and Benefits Managers education requirements?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Benefits Manager?

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Where Compensation and Benefits Managers Are Employed

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Career changers with experience as a Compensation and Benefits Manager sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Arunkumar Umapathy via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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