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Compensation analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a compensation analyst. Compensation analysts usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 73% of compensation analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,104 real compensation analyst resumes to see exactly what compensation analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for compensation analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online compensation analyst courses to help get the education required to be a compensation analyst.
What education do you need to become a compensation analyst?
What degree do you need to be a compensation analyst?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a compensation analyst?
- Business, 34%
- Psychology, 8%
- Accounting, 7%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for compensation analysts
| Compensation analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.73% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.10% |
| Cornell University | 6.79% |
| Pace University | 5.56% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.25% |
Best majors for compensation analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 33.7% |
| 2 | Human Resources Management | 13.5% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 4 | Accounting | 7.1% |
| 5 | Finance | 7.0% |
Best colleges for compensation analysts
The best colleges for compensation analysts are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A compensation analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for compensation analysts. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become compensation analysts.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for compensation analysts
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This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...
3. Performance Management and Compensation Management in HRM
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4. Compensation and Benefits for Beginners
This course is a beginners guide to understanding compensation and benefits...
5. Accounting Analysis II: Accounting for Liabilities and Equity
This course is the fourth course in a five-course Financial Reporting Specialization. This course focuses on the recognition, measurement, and subsequent accounting for equity, pensions, share-based compensation, and cash flows utilizing the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and other resources...
6. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales
How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...
7. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )
Get Real World Data Analyst Skills with Hands-on Practice...
8. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24
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9. The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp
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10. Data Science Career Guide - Interview Preparation
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11. Tableau Certified Data Analyst: Top Exam Prep Course
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12. Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate a New Job Offer (Pro)
Earn thousands by finding what you're worth, knowing exactly what to say, and negotiating your pay with confidence...
13. Tableau Data Analyst/Specialist Desktop Certification
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14. Market Analytics: Become a Data-Driven Marketing Expert
Learn to calculate market segments, use pricing techniques, and forecast sales with Excel for better marketing strategy...
15. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data
This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...
16. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists
Master One of the Most In-Demand Skills for Data Analysts in 2020!...
17. Statistics for Data Science and Business Analysis
Statistics you need in the office: Descriptive & Inferential statistics, Hypothesis testing, Regression analysis...
18. ACL for Audit, Data analysis and Visualization
ACL(Audit Command Language) analytics for tasks automation and data science...
19. An Introduction to Machine Learning for Data Engineers
A Prerequisite for Tensorflow on Google's Cloud Platform for Data Engineers...
20. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
Top 10 most affordable universities for compensation analysts
The most affordable schools for compensation analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for compensation analysts are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for compensation analysts.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for compensation analysts
The hardest universities for compensation analysts to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for compensation analysts are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for compensation analysts based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for compensation analysts
The easiest schools for compensation analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a compensation analyst without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for compensation analysts.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average compensation analyst salary by education level
| Compensation analyst education level | Compensation analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,388 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $64,965 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $70,794 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,035 |
Compensation analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025