Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
The differences between benefits managers and plan administrators 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 plan administrator. Additionally, a plan administrator has an average salary of $68,435, 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 plan administrator are payroll, HR, and plan administration.
| Benefits Manager | Plan Administrator | |
| Yearly Salary | $64,064 | $68,435 |
| Hourly rate | $30.80 | $32.90 |
| Growth Rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number Of Jobs | 11,164 | 51,856 |
| Job Satisfaction | - | - |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average Age | 46 | 46 |
| 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.
A plan administrator's duties depend on their line of work or place of employment. Still, they typically include understanding the client or the project's needs, developing plans, performing research and analysis, liaising with internal and external parties, setting goals, establishing guidelines and timelines, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They must also respond to issues and concerns, resolving them efficiently. Moreover, as a plan administrator, it is essential to monitor the daily operations and manage staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Benefits managers and plan administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Benefits Manager | Plan Administrator | |
| Average Salary | $64,064 | $68,435 |
| Salary Range | Between $39,000 And $104,000 | Between $45,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest Paying City | Philadelphia, PA | New York, NY |
| Highest Paying State | Pennsylvania | New York |
| Best Paying Company | Microsoft | Apple |
| Best Paying Industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a benefits manager and a plan administrator in terms of educational background:
| Benefits Manager | Plan Administrator | |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most Common Major | Business | Business |
| Most Common College | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between benefits managers' and plan administrators' demographics:
| Benefits Manager | Plan Administrator | |
| Average Age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender Ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 35% | 35% |