Benefits & payroll administrator vs senior benefits specialist

The differences between benefits & payroll administrators and senior benefits specialists 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 & payroll administrator and a senior benefits specialist. Additionally, a benefits & payroll administrator has an average salary of $50,662, which is higher than the $50,211 average annual salary of a senior benefits specialist.

The top three skills for a benefits & payroll administrator include human resources, HRIS and cobra. The most important skills for a senior benefits specialist are customer service, HR, and HRIS.

Benefits & payroll administrator vs senior benefits specialist overview

	Benefits & Payroll Administrator	Senior Benefits Specialist
Yearly salary	$50,662	$50,211
Hourly rate	$24.36	$24.14
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	61,356	34,999
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a benefits & payroll administrator do?

The Benefits and Payroll Administrator manages the company's payroll, ensuring work benefits and employee documents are secure. The administrator also delivers employees' issues and concerns to the company's proper channels. This position also helps in the audit of the company and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. This administrative position requires bookkeeping knowledge, a bachelor's degree, and experience in using spreadsheets and accounting software.

What does a senior benefits specialist do?

Typically working in a company's human resources department, a senior benefits specialist manages benefits and compensation programs for the employees. They are mostly in charge of designing and developing plans for retirement, stock ownership, healthcare, and pension. To carry out their duties, they must perform extensive research and analysis, coordinate efforts with staff and other experts, put costs and budgets into consideration, and liaise with external parties such as vendors and plan providers, building positive relationships for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a senior benefits specialist must also assist employees by answering their inquiries and explaining how the benefits programs work.

Benefits & payroll administrator vs senior benefits specialist salary

Benefits & payroll administrators and senior benefits specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Benefits & Payroll Administrator	Senior Benefits Specialist
Average salary	$50,662	$50,211
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $68,000	Between $34,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	HGA	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between benefits & payroll administrator and senior benefits specialist education

There are a few differences between a benefits & payroll administrator and a senior benefits specialist in terms of educational background:

	Benefits & Payroll Administrator	Senior Benefits Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Benefits & payroll administrator vs senior benefits specialist demographics

Here are the differences between benefits & payroll administrators' and senior benefits specialists' demographics:

	Benefits & Payroll Administrator	Senior Benefits Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3%	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.3% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between benefits & payroll administrator and senior benefits specialist duties and responsibilities

Benefits & payroll administrator example responsibilities.

Manage HRIS, recruiting, training, and time and attendance programs as well as trouble shooting.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Ensure accuracy of all benefit enrollments and life status changes record in the HRIS to provide vendors with accurate eligibility information.
Complete weekly internal payroll reports and fund employee accounts (HSA and 401K).
Process benefit elections, merit raises, salary changes, garnishments, cobra and severance.
Administer employee benefits programs including group medical, dental, vision, group life and FSA.

Senior benefits specialist example responsibilities.

Develop and manage leave of absence program in accordance with company policy, FMLA and applicable state laws.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Coordinate with STD/FMLA carrier and payroll to process disability and FMLA claims.
Set up new hires in Kronos time & labor system as well as work schedules.
Act as liaison with vendors to insure accurate and timely claims processing according to HCFA, HIPAA and Medicare guidelines.
Prepare weekly payroll utilizing Kronos software.

Benefits & payroll administrator vs senior benefits specialist skills

Common benefits & payroll administrator skills

Human Resources, 6%
HRIS, 6%
Cobra, 6%
Payroll System, 4%
Open Enrollment, 4%
ADP Payroll, 4%

Common senior benefits specialist skills

Customer Service, 11%
HR, 9%
HRIS, 7%
Life Insurance, 4%
Benefits Administration, 4%
Cobra, 4%

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Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Benefits & Payroll Administrator vs Senior Benefits Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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