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The differences between benefits assistants and senior human resources 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 assistant and a senior human resources specialist. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, 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 senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.
| Benefits Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,850 | $63,956 |
| Hourly rate | $19.16 | $30.75 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,337 | 46,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 senior human resources specialist is responsible for monitoring the human resources operations of an organization, managing employment processes and policies, and handling staffing needs and concerns. Senior human resources specialists design training and programs to maintain staff's efficiency and maximize the employees' productivity to support business functional operations. They also coordinate with management leaders to identify their hiring needs, evaluating their specifications for recruitment. A senior human resources specialist reviews the company's policies and guidelines regularly, adjusting procedures according to state regulations and business requirements.
Benefits assistants and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Benefits Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,850 | $63,956 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $45,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Irving Isd | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a benefits assistant and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:
| Benefits Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between benefits assistants' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:
| Benefits Assistant | Senior Human Resources Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |