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The differences between benefits consultants and benefits advisors 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 consultant and a benefits advisor. Additionally, a benefits consultant has an average salary of $79,068, which is higher than the $71,377 average annual salary of a benefits advisor.
The top three skills for a benefits consultant include HR, customer service and life insurance. The most important skills for a benefits advisor are insurance benefits, patients, and inbound calls.
| Benefits Consultant | Benefits Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $79,068 | $71,377 |
| Hourly rate | $38.01 | $34.32 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 19,308 | 48,023 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 46 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Benefits consultants are executives who carry out many services for individuals and businesses. The consultants draft and organize policies within the organization. They handle vendors and manage the renewal of negotiations of HMO plans. It is their job to establish agency relationships with marketing representatives. They coordinate programs that involve self-funded or administered long-term and short-term disability, life insurance, and a cafeteria plan. Also, they prepare enterprises to meet health care law changes.
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.
Benefits consultants and benefits advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Benefits Consultant | Benefits Advisor | |
| Average salary | $79,068 | $71,377 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $121,000 | Between $46,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | BMO Capital Markets | Chevron |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a benefits consultant and a benefits advisor in terms of educational background:
| Benefits Consultant | Benefits Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between benefits consultants' and benefits advisors' demographics:
| Benefits Consultant | Benefits Advisor | |
| Average age | 46 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3% | Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 8.0% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 35% | 9% |