Benefits counselor vs benefits advisor

The differences between benefits counselors 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 counselor and a benefits advisor. Additionally, a benefits counselor has an average salary of $72,268, which is higher than the $71,377 average annual salary of a benefits advisor.

The top three skills for a benefits counselor include veterans, HR and open enrollment. The most important skills for a benefits advisor are insurance benefits, patients, and inbound calls.

Benefits counselor vs benefits advisor overview

	Benefits Counselor	Benefits Advisor
Yearly salary	$72,268	$71,377
Hourly rate	$34.74	$34.32
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	34,132	48,023
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a benefits counselor do?

A benefits counselor manages the company or organization's employee benefits programs. Job responsibilities may include designing and administering the benefits program to ensure company and employee needs are met, as well as assisting and educating employees in benefits enrollment activities. This job requires a full understanding of health care benefits, comprising medical, dental, and life insurance, including knowledge of pertinent regulations and legislation. In addition, benefits counselors may also need to be knowledgeable and updated with other incentives such as pensions and stock ownership.

What does a benefits advisor do?

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 counselor vs benefits advisor salary

Benefits counselors and benefits advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Benefits Counselor	Benefits Advisor
Average salary	$72,268	$71,377
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $118,000	Between $46,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	-	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Chevron
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between benefits counselor and benefits advisor education

There are a few differences between a benefits counselor and a benefits advisor in terms of educational background:

	Benefits Counselor	Benefits Advisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Benefits counselor vs benefits advisor demographics

Here are the differences between benefits counselors' and benefits advisors' demographics:

	Benefits Counselor	Benefits Advisor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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	9%	9%

Differences between benefits counselor and benefits advisor duties and responsibilities

Benefits counselor example 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.
Handle plan claims and appeals in ERISA and non-ERISA plans.
Simplify and improve the FMLA process, procedures, and paperwork.

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Benefits advisor example responsibilities.

Manage broker and group accounts throughout the year administering qualify changes, terminations, and ACA compliance.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Function as a liaison between the patient, hospital and governmental agencies to obtain documentation require for Medicaid eligibility determination.
Maintain employee benefit records in HRIS system, including qualifying event records, personal information updates, and employment status changes.
Evaluate patients for existing insurance coverage, federal and state assistance programs, or hospital charity application.
Use tactful and effective interview techniques to obtain pertinent information to assure accurate eligibility determination for Medicaid.

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Benefits counselor vs benefits advisor skills

Common benefits counselor skills

Veterans, 20%
HR, 12%
Open Enrollment, 11%
Annuities, 9%
Customer Service, 5%
Term Disability, 3%

Common benefits advisor skills

Insurance Benefits, 21%
Patients, 12%
Inbound Calls, 10%
Medicare Advantage, 6%
Insurance Products, 6%
Medicaid, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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