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The differences between benefits advisors and senior benefits specialists 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 senior benefits specialist. Additionally, a benefits advisor has an average salary of $71,377, which is higher than the $50,211 average annual salary of a senior benefits specialist.
The top three skills for a benefits advisor include insurance benefits, patients and inbound calls. The most important skills for a senior benefits specialist are customer service, HR, and HRIS.
| Benefits Advisor | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,377 | $50,211 |
| Hourly rate | $34.32 | $24.14 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 48,023 | 34,999 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Typically working in a company's human resources department, a senior benefits specialist manages benefits and compensation programs for the employees. They are mostly in charge of designing and developing plans for retirement, stock ownership, healthcare, and pension. To carry out their duties, they must perform extensive research and analysis, coordinate efforts with staff and other experts, put costs and budgets into consideration, and liaise with external parties such as vendors and plan providers, building positive relationships for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a senior benefits specialist must also assist employees by answering their inquiries and explaining how the benefits programs work.
Benefits advisors and senior benefits specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Benefits Advisor | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Average salary | $71,377 | $50,211 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $109,000 | Between $34,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Chevron | - |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a benefits advisor and a senior benefits specialist in terms of educational background:
| Benefits Advisor | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between benefits advisors' and senior benefits specialists' demographics:
| Benefits Advisor | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| 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, 15.6% Asian, 7.3% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |