Benefit director vs human resources consultant

The differences between benefit directors and human resources consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a benefit director and a human resources consultant. Additionally, a benefit director has an average salary of $110,567, which is higher than the $71,882 average annual salary of a human resources consultant.

The top three skills for a benefit director include human resources, oversight and ERISA. The most important skills for a human resources consultant are performance management, shared services, and workforce planning.

Benefit director vs human resources consultant overview

	Benefit Director	Human Resources Consultant
Yearly salary	$110,567	$71,882
Hourly rate	$53.16	$34.56
Growth rate	2%	7%
Number of jobs	9,650	52,761
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	46	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a benefit director do?

Benefits directors are professionals who plan and direct the overall design, implementation, and administration of an organization's health and welfare benefits programs. To support the decision making of the management, these directors are required to analyze benefit options and predict future costs. They should study programs so that they can identify benefit options as well as obtain advice from consultants. Benefits directors must study existing and new legislation so that they can comply with federal, state, and legal requirements and advise the management on needed actions.

What does a human resources consultant do?

A human resources consultant is responsible for supporting the human resources management of an organization by advising on policies and procedures for effective employee relations. Human resources consultants analyze HR programs and current processes and initiate projects to maintain stable operations. They also facilitate strategic plans to resolve HR matters and improve culture management. A human resources consultant must be highly-knowledgeable of the human resources industry, its techniques, regulations, and disciplines to help with the implementation of business advancements and achieve the organization's objectives.

Benefit director vs human resources consultant salary

Benefit directors and human resources consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Benefit Director	Human Resources Consultant
Average salary	$110,567	$71,882
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $165,000	Between $53,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	New Jersey
Best paying company	Cornerstone Research	Eli Lilly and Company
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between benefit director and human resources consultant education

There are a few differences between a benefit director and a human resources consultant in terms of educational background:

	Benefit Director	Human Resources Consultant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Benefit director vs human resources consultant demographics

Here are the differences between benefit directors' and human resources consultants' demographics:

	Benefit Director	Human Resources Consultant
Average age	46	47
Gender ratio	Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0%	Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	35%	18%

Differences between benefit director and human resources consultant duties and responsibilities

Benefit director example responsibilities.

Lead project to implement third-party ACA tax form processing for over 30,000 employee records.
Manage relate HRIS systems, software applications for benefit administration.
Lead departmental PeopleSoft projects and initiatives; involve in systems testing when additional system upgrades are implemented.
Implement HIPAA compliant wellness programs, including biometric testing.
Well verse with ERISA and HIPPA reporting.
Work with outside ERISA counsel on pension issues.

Human resources consultant example responsibilities.

Manage AAP plan development, modification, implementation, and reporting requirements.
Advise management on disciplinary actions, compensation, performance management, FMLA issues, and daily policy and procedural interpretation.
Handle UN employment claims, safety meetings, and key OSHA information.
Prepare cross-check system to ensure compliance with OSHA, EEOC and ADA.
Develop payroll relations with ADP and provide application training.
Conduct orientations to managers and supervisors on EEO federal/local regulations.

Benefit director vs human resources consultant skills

Common benefit director skills

Human Resources, 10%
Oversight, 6%
ERISA, 5%
Open Enrollment, 5%
HIPAA, 5%
HRIS, 4%

Common human resources consultant skills

Performance Management, 9%
Shared Services, 8%
Workforce Planning, 8%
Employee Engagement, 7%
Payroll, 6%
Customer Service, 4%

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Benefit Director
Benefit Director vs Human Resources Consultant

Updated January 8, 2025

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