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Job outlook for benefits clerks in the United States
Are benefits clerk jobs in demand?
Benefits clerk job and salary trends over time
Benefits clerk jobs over time
Benefits clerk job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,788 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,696 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,781 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,666 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,657 | 0.00% |
Average benefits clerk salary over time
Benefits clerk salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,841 | $16.75 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $34,218 | $16.45 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $33,381 | $16.05 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $32,522 | $15.64 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $31,410 | $15.10 | +3.4% |
Benefits clerk jobs by state
Most common states for benefits clerks
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 172 | 25% |
| 2 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 510 | 18% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 124 | 17% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 143 | 16% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 856 | 15% |
| 6 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 470 | 15% |
| 7 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 294 | 15% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 141 | 15% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 93 | 15% |
| 10 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,048 | 14% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 497 | 14% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 909 | 13% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 891 | 13% |
| 14 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 806 | 13% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 744 | 13% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 709 | 13% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,829 | 12% |
| 18 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 839 | 12% |
| 19 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 516 | 12% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 70 | 12% |
Most common cities for benefits clerks
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethesda | 1 | 2% | $33,372 |
| 2 | Albany | 1 | 1% | $26,863 |
| 3 | Newport Beach | 1 | 1% | $35,118 |
| 4 | San Antonio | 1 | 0% | $32,081 |
| 5 | Santa Ana | 1 | 0% | $35,141 |
Benefits Clerk job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of benefits clerk experts
Washington State University- Vancouver
Land O Lakes
Grand Valley State University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Penn State Wilkes-Barre and World Campus
Florida International University
Bucknell University
Adriana Thomas
Advisor, Internship Coordinator, InstructorWashington State University- Vancouver
Department of Human Development
What soft skills should all Benefits Clerks possess?
Adriana Thomas: People skills. Communication, collaboration.
Philomena Morrissey Satre
Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion and External Strategic PartnershipsLand O Lakes
What hard/technical skills are most important for Benefits Clerks?
Philomena Morrissey Satre: Ability to learn and work with HR Systems like payrolls systems: HRIS and Learning and Development Platforms. Can work effectively with data, understanding and applying knowledge, juggling multiple priorities, and problem-solving.
Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.
Affiliate of Practice Professor, SHRM Student Chapter AdviserGrand Valley State University
Seidman College of Business
What hard/technical skills are most important for Benefits Clerks?
Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.: Knowledge of the HR Discipline
-Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
-Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
-Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, government regulations, and executive orders.
-Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for training design, implementation, and evaluation.
Technology Skills
-Enterprise resource planning ERP software
-Human resources software - Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
-Office suite software
-Project management software
-Web page creation and editing software
-Word processing software
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Benefits Clerk job market given the pandemic?
Qian Song Ph.D.: The pandemic has accelerated the immersion of technology in our work and life. People work remotely, study remotely, shop online from grocery to furniture, tour the museums and consult a doctor virtually. Increased closures of brick and mortar stores and online business play a role in the surge of technology stocks. Thus, the pandemic has changed the way companies use technology to conduct business. Ultimately, accounting and other professionals are expected to be proficient in the use of technology in their work. The Big Four and other public accounting firms are increasing their investments in technology such as data analytics and robotic process automation. Entry-level accounting or structured, repetitive, and rule-based tasks are increasingly being automated. Such automation in business processes also occurs in other industries. It is only a matter of time before we see robots and machines (and they do not get COVID) taking over a large number of accounting and other jobs that can be automated. Advances in data analytics will speed up this process and change the nature of the accounting function. For example, instead of a traditional audit sampling, data analytics tools can be used to examine the entire dataset. The accounting firms are expected to hire more data science professionals rather than traditional accountants.
Accounting graduates will face challenges and also opportunities in today's advanced technological environment. Other than the basic accounting knowledge, accounting students can acquire data analytics and technological skills. Although accounting jobs are predicted to increase in the future, the increase is likely to be for the newly transformed accounting jobs that utilize technology
Lori Dunn CPA
LecturerPenn State Wilkes-Barre and World Campus
Department of Business Administration and Accounting
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Benefits Clerk job market given the pandemic?
Lori Dunn CPA: The largest trend in the job market for accounting careers is remote working. Professionals have already seen this transition even for entry level positions. Many interviews and onboarding are occurring remotely as well as most accounting tasks in a position. We may see this continue to be the trend even after the pandemic levels off. As indicated in the Robert Half Accounting and Finance Salary Guide 2021, the top skills that are going to be expected of professionals in accounting as a result of the pandemic include: technology skills in cloud based systems as well as data analytics, soft skills including working independently, exhibiting creativity, strong writing and verbal communication skills as well as the ability to be a team player virtually. Although all of these skills have been necessary, the pandemic has brought them to the forefront when hiring accounting talent.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Benefits Clerk job market given the pandemic?
Jose Aldrich: -Rapid increase in quality of technology based solutions allowing for robust remote working and business interaction, will support working more from home where the business can adapt and has the technology solutions to support the new working environment. This trend will impact commercial real estate, primarily office space. Some companies may seek to reduce office space.
-Budgets for business travel, large meetings and in-person business meetings may decrease and budgets for remote technology may increase. Business travel industry may need to adapt to the reduced business travel as remote technology solutions continue to evolve.
-E-commerce is on the rise and will continue to increase as consumers become more comfortable with online purchasing (groceries, clothes and household items, etc). Shift from physical stores to virtual stores for a larger percentage of sales will lower cost of entry and give rise to new businesses to support the trend.
-Social norms have adapted to the new pandemic environment and may not fully return to pre-pandemic levels. Face masks, social distancing, handshaking, etc. may become the norm for some time and taper slowly with some habits continuing.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Benefits Clerk job market given the pandemic?
Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.: In my opinion, we are likely to see a major shift to flexible work arrangements that are actually flexible. In the past, many firms have advertised flexible work arrangements that were only flexible to a point, with historic rigidity lurking under the surface. I think the pandemic has provided evidence that employee arrangements can be more flexible (e.g. remote, alternative schedules, etc.) with employees able to maintain a high level of productivity.
From the employee's perspective, this is welcome news. However, the shift to remote work and other pandemic trends have made the line between work/life blurrier. I've discussed with several former students the challenge remote work has created as flexible schedules often mean late-night meetings or critical emails at odd hours. The advent of technology, beginning with email and accelerating through Blackberrys to iPhones, already blurred those lines, but remote work has provided additional accelerant.