Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between benefits managers and human resources business partners 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 manager and a human resources business partner. Additionally, a human resources business partner has an average salary of $86,363, which is higher than the $64,064 average annual salary of a benefits manager.
The top three skills for a benefits manager include HR, customer service and HRIS. The most important skills for a human resources business partner are employee engagement, HRBP, and succession planning.
| Benefits Manager | Human Resources Business Partner | |
| Yearly salary | $64,064 | $86,363 |
| Hourly rate | $30.80 | $41.52 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 11,164 | 103,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A benefits manager is primarily in charge of overseeing and handling a company's benefits programs and projects for employees. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with human resources to gather accurate data, improve existing benefits programs, and creating new ones in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. A benefits manager may also liaise with external agencies, develop activities for employee welfare, and resolve any issues regarding the benefits programs. Furthermore, they may perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, manage budgets, and maintain records of all transactions.
Human resource (HR) business partners' primary job is to ensure that business objectives are aligned with the management and employees within an organization. They typically focus more on developing HR strategy than implementing the company policies. They often work with individual business units, and their work is related to the company's current and future success. HR business partners are also responsible for providing performance management guidance, developing contract terms for new employees, transfers, and promotions, and providing advice on business units.
Benefits managers and human resources business partners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Benefits Manager | Human Resources Business Partner | |
| Average salary | $64,064 | $86,363 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $104,000 | Between $62,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a benefits manager and a human resources business partner in terms of educational background:
| Benefits Manager | Human Resources Business Partner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between benefits managers' and human resources business partners' demographics:
| Benefits Manager | Human Resources Business Partner | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 35% | 18% |