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Job outlook for benefit specialists in the United States
Benefit specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected benefit specialist job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 6,600 new jobs for benefit specialists are projected over the next decade.
Benefit specialist salaries have increased 8% for benefit specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 44,448 benefit specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 31,663 active benefit specialist job openings in the US.
The average benefit specialist salary is $48,756.
Are benefit specialist jobs in demand?
Benefit Specialist job and salary trends over time
Benefit Specialist jobs over time
Benefit Specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44,448 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 44,509 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 45,233 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 42,320 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 40,791 | 0.01% |
Average benefit specialist salary over time
Benefit Specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,756 | $23.44 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $46,848 | $22.52 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $45,716 | $21.98 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $45,484 | $21.87 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | $45,048 | $21.66 | +2.0% |
Benefit Specialist jobs by state
Most common states for benefit specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 179 | 26% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 300 | 10% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 592 | 9% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 175 | 9% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 95 | 9% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 90 | 9% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 63 | 9% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 58 | 9% |
| 9 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 54 | 9% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 644 | 8% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 311 | 8% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 108 | 8% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 80 | 8% |
| 14 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 68 | 8% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 57 | 8% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 727 | 7% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 693 | 7% |
| 18 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 404 | 7% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 403 | 7% |
| 20 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 210 | 7% |
Most common cities for benefit specialists
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockville | 4 | 6% | $50,315 |
| 2 | Broomfield | 3 | 5% | $49,415 |
| 3 | Springfield | 4 | 3% | $47,529 |
| 4 | Boca Raton | 3 | 3% | $39,512 |
| 5 | Knoxville | 4 | 2% | $42,229 |
| 6 | Little Rock | 4 | 2% | $35,433 |
| 7 | Atlanta | 7 | 1% | $44,172 |
| 8 | Boston | 7 | 1% | $53,752 |
| 9 | Baltimore | 4 | 1% | $50,892 |
| 10 | Minneapolis | 4 | 1% | $47,318 |
| 11 | Tampa | 4 | 1% | $39,710 |
| 12 | Washington | 4 | 1% | $56,120 |
| 13 | New York | 13 | 0% | $54,893 |
| 14 | Chicago | 6 | 0% | $47,939 |
| 15 | San Antonio | 5 | 0% | $46,536 |
| 16 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $43,767 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 4 | 0% | $55,127 |
| 18 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $41,992 |
| 19 | San Diego | 4 | 0% | $54,400 |
| 20 | Dallas | 3 | 0% | $45,582 |
Benefit Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of benefit specialist experts
Rowan University
North Carolina Central University
American Public University System
Forsyth County, Georgia
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRowan University
Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural education
How would you rate the starting salaries for Benefit Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: Educators are not paid nearly enough. However, working in a state with strong teachers' unions helps to ensure a starting salary that recent graduates can live off of and growth opportunities, albeit modest, over their careers.
Elisha Blankson
Program Director NCCU, Assistant ProfessorNorth Carolina Central University
Communication Disorders Department
What type of skills will young Benefit Specialists need?
Elisha Blankson: Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorAmerican Public University System
Public Administration Department
How do you envision technology impacting Benefit Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.: COVID-19 has increased the number of people who are working at home. This means a solid basic knowledge of telecommuting, and the ability to work unsupervised will be necessary. The ability to use remote security protocols, the cloud, and various software platforms will be required.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Benefit Specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Kukarola: This one, not so sure of, the southeast continues to see options as well as mid-western states.