Benefits advisor vs benefits & payroll administrator

The differences between benefits advisors and benefits & payroll administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a benefits advisor and a benefits & payroll administrator. Additionally, a benefits advisor has an average salary of $71,377, which is higher than the $50,662 average annual salary of a benefits & payroll administrator.

The top three skills for a benefits advisor include insurance benefits, patients and inbound calls. The most important skills for a benefits & payroll administrator are human resources, HRIS, and cobra.

Benefits advisor vs benefits & payroll administrator overview

	Benefits Advisor	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Yearly salary	$71,377	$50,662
Hourly rate	$34.32	$24.36
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	48,023	61,356
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a benefits advisor do?

A benefits advisor specializes in devising benefits programs and strategies for a workforce, ensuring they are well-compensated for their hard work. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of employees in a company, studying the benefit programs of competitors, and assessing the existing programs while putting the company's welfare into consideration. They must prepare reports and presentations for clients, provide cost-estimates and business plans, and evaluate risks, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

What does a benefits & payroll administrator do?

The Benefits and Payroll Administrator manages the company's payroll, ensuring work benefits and employee documents are secure. The administrator also delivers employees' issues and concerns to the company's proper channels. This position also helps in the audit of the company and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. This administrative position requires bookkeeping knowledge, a bachelor's degree, and experience in using spreadsheets and accounting software.

Benefits advisor vs benefits & payroll administrator salary

Benefits advisors and benefits & payroll administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Benefits Advisor	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Average salary	$71,377	$50,662
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $109,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Chevron	HGA
Best paying industry	Government	Professional

Differences between benefits advisor and benefits & payroll administrator education

There are a few differences between a benefits advisor and a benefits & payroll administrator in terms of educational background:

	Benefits Advisor	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Benefits advisor vs benefits & payroll administrator demographics

Here are the differences between benefits advisors' and benefits & payroll administrators' demographics:

	Benefits Advisor	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%	Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between benefits advisor and benefits & payroll administrator duties and responsibilities

Benefits advisor example responsibilities.

Manage broker and group accounts throughout the year administering qualify changes, terminations, and ACA compliance.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Function as a liaison between the patient, hospital and governmental agencies to obtain documentation require for Medicaid eligibility determination.
Maintain employee benefit records in HRIS system, including qualifying event records, personal information updates, and employment status changes.
Evaluate patients for existing insurance coverage, federal and state assistance programs, or hospital charity application.
Use tactful and effective interview techniques to obtain pertinent information to assure accurate eligibility determination for Medicaid.

Benefits & payroll administrator example responsibilities.

Manage HRIS, recruiting, training, and time and attendance programs as well as trouble shooting.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Ensure accuracy of all benefit enrollments and life status changes record in the HRIS to provide vendors with accurate eligibility information.
Complete weekly internal payroll reports and fund employee accounts (HSA and 401K).
Process benefit elections, merit raises, salary changes, garnishments, cobra and severance.
Administer employee benefits programs including group medical, dental, vision, group life and FSA.

Benefits advisor vs benefits & payroll administrator skills

Common benefits advisor skills

Insurance Benefits, 21%
Patients, 12%
Inbound Calls, 10%
Medicare Advantage, 6%
Insurance Products, 6%
Medicaid, 5%

Common benefits & payroll administrator skills

Human Resources, 6%
HRIS, 6%
Cobra, 6%
Payroll System, 4%
Open Enrollment, 4%
ADP Payroll, 4%

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Benefits Advisor
Benefits Advisor vs Benefits & Payroll Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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