Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between benefits assistants and human resources generalists 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 assistant and a human resources generalist. Additionally, a human resources generalist has an average salary of $56,159, which is higher than the $39,850 average annual salary of a benefits assistant.
The top three skills for a benefits assistant include human resources, data entry and cobra. The most important skills for a human resources generalist are HRIS, performance management, and customer service.
| Benefits Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,850 | $56,159 |
| Hourly rate | $19.16 | $27.00 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,337 | 44,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Typically working in a human resources department, a benefits assistant is in charge of performing clerical support tasks for an efficient workflow. They primarily communicate with employees to answer inquiries regarding benefits and compensation programs, assist in processing documents, and resolve issues and concerns. Their responsibilities also include conducting research and analysis, liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, organizing documents, and maintaining records. Above all, it is essential to carry out duties while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
A human resources generalist is responsible for monitoring the human resources policies and procedures, making adjustments as needed to align with the company's goals and objectives. Duties of a human resources generalist also include improving employee relations system, organizing compliance and knowledge training, reviewing benefit plans, managing compensation inquiries, assisting in recruitment and staffing needs, communicating with department heads in employees' performance reviews, and storing employees' files for reference. A human resource generalist must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to address issues concerning the company and employees' welfare.
Benefits assistants and human resources generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Benefits Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Average salary | $39,850 | $56,159 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $41,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Irving Isd | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a benefits assistant and a human resources generalist in terms of educational background:
| Benefits Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between benefits assistants' and human resources generalists' demographics:
| Benefits Assistant | Human Resources Generalist | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3% | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |