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

What is a benefits manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A benefits manager oversees employee benefits programs on behalf of an organization. They design, implement, and manage employee health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave policies. Additionally, they work with insurance providers and brokers to secure the best rates and coverage possible for employees. Benefits managers also provide guidance and answer questions for employees regarding their benefits. Their work aims to attract and retain talented employees while remaining compliant with the relevant laws and regulations.

ScoreBenefits ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $64,064

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.24%

Black or African American 10.88%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 3.42%

White 67.20%

Gender

female 75.71%

male 24.29%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a benefits manager?

Pros

Competitive salary and benefits package
Exposure to various HR functions, including recruitment and talent management
In-demand job with strong job security
Opportunity to work remotely or with flexible schedules
Potential for career advancement within the organization

Cons

High levels of responsibility and accountability
Can be stressful due to deadlines and competing priorities
May require long hours during peak periods, such as open enrollment season
Can be emotionally demanding when dealing with employee concerns and complaints
Can be tedious due to administrative tasks such as data entry and record keeping

Key steps to become a benefits manager

Explore benefits manager education requirements

Most common benefits manager degrees

Bachelor's

65.6 %

Associate

13.8 %

Master's

11.0 %

Start to develop specific benefits manager skills

Skills	Percentages
HR	10.02%
Customer Service	6.77%
HRIS	5.64%
HIPAA	4.92%
Life Insurance	4.64%

Complete relevant benefits manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New benefits managers 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 manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real benefits manager resumes.

Research benefits manager duties and responsibilities

Lead a successful transition of payroll, time and labor, benefits and general ledger to PeopleSoft.
Collaborate with ADP to ensure system readiness and manage benefit communications.
Lead departmental PeopleSoft projects and initiatives; involve in systems testing when additional system upgrades are implemented.
Coordinate annual open enrollment, update benefits within HRIS, reconcile monthly statements and approve premium statements for payment.

Prepare your benefits manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your benefits manager 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 manager 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 manager resume templates

Build a professional benefits manager 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 manager resume.