How To Become A Benefits Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a benefits counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Keeping track of benefits -- Health insurance, HMOs, HSAs, not to mention 401Ks, and stock options can seem like a full-time job. That's why a benefits counselor is available to help employees get the compensation they are entitled to.

A benefits counselor usually works with workers to understand their benefits and enroll in their plans--for example, picking the right health insurance plan can involve a lot of deliberation and even more paperwork. The benefits counselor can even help design and choose benefits plans that meet the needs of workers and are cost-effective for the company.

Many benefits counselors have a bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field. Some go on to get additional certifications. A successful benefits counselor has the strong analytical mindset to understanding complex company policies, health insurance regulations, and more, and the excellent communication skills to explain them in accessible terms. With the help of a benefits counselor, workers know they have a safety net for when they are sick, older, or in need.

ScoreBenefits CounselorUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $72,268

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 6.94%

Black or African American 10.91%

Hispanic or Latino 15.95%

Unknown 3.63%

White 62.23%

Gender

female 65.72%

male 34.28%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a benefits counselor

Explore benefits counselor education requirements

Most common benefits counselor degrees

Bachelor's

56.2 %

Associate

17.5 %

Master's

11.1 %

Start to develop specific benefits counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Veterans	20.48%
HR	11.65%
Open Enrollment	10.56%
Annuities	8.83%
Customer Service	5.50%

Complete relevant benefits counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New benefits counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a benefits counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real benefits counselor resumes.

Research benefits counselor duties and responsibilities

Manage vendors for medical, dental, pharmacy, vision, HSA, long-term care and work-life resource and referral programs.
Utilize HIPAA confidentiality of all employee data.
Follow all HIPAA guidelines as required by law.
Follow HIPPA by verifying the member's identity.

Prepare your benefits counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your benefits counselor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a benefits counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable benefits counselor resume templates

Build a professional benefits counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your benefits counselor resume.