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Compensation and benefits technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a compensation and benefits technician. Compensation and benefits technicians usually study business, human resources management, or accounting. 61% of compensation and benefits technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 222 real compensation and benefits technician resumes to see exactly what compensation and benefits technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for compensation and benefits technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online compensation and benefits technician courses to help get the education required to be a compensation and benefits technician.

What education do you need to become a compensation and benefits technician?

What degree do you need to be a compensation and benefits technician?

The most common degree for compensation and benefits technicians is bachelor's degree, with 61% of compensation and benefits technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 61%
  • Associate, 20%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a compensation and benefits technician?

You should major in business to become a compensation and benefits technician. 29% of compensation and benefits technicians major in business. Other common majors for a compensation and benefits technician include human resources management and accounting.

Most common colleges for compensation and benefits technicians

Compensation and benefits technicians often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for compensation and benefits technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Compensation and benefits technician common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix8.70%
University of Arkansas at Little Rock8.70%
Strayer University6.52%
Des Moines6.52%
University of Southern Maine4.35%

Best majors for compensation and benefits technicians

Best colleges for compensation and benefits technicians

The best colleges for compensation and benefits technicians are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A compensation and benefits technician 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 and benefits technicians. 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 and benefits technicians.

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. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

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 and benefits technicians

Advertising disclosure

1. Managing Employee Compensation

coursera

Whether you're writing paychecks or wondering where yours comes from, this course is for you! We begin by asking: "To succeed, what kind of a person does your organization need to attract, retain, and motivate?" From there, we'll explain how to align your organization's objectives, its pay philosophy, and ultimately the way it designs and implements its salary structure, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, and benefits. Interested in learning more about the technical aspects of...

2. Marketing Channel Benefits

coursera

This course is ideal for individuals who currently work in or are targeting opportunities in consulting and strategy, industrial sales and buying, marketing management, entrepreneurship, and business development. This course will introduce you to the concept of channel benefits, which focuses on HOW customers want to buy. This is a critical first step and represents the demand side of designing routes to markets. You will learn which channel benefits are most commonly desired by customers...

3. Compensation and Benefits for Beginners

udemy
4.3
(486)

This course is a beginners guide to understanding compensation and benefits...

4. Performance Management and Compensation Management in HRM

udemy
4.4
(276)

Performance Management and Compensation Management Complete Course...

5. Introduction to Technical Support

coursera

Technical Support professionals are in great demand! This is the first course in the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate program, designed to prepare you for a rewarding career in technical support. You will begin this self-paced course by learning what Informational Technology (IT) support is all about. You'll find out the roles and responsibilities of Technical Support professionals and become familiar with all the different career paths you can take in Technical Support. You will also...

6. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24

udemy
4.2
(351)

Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...

7. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course

udemy
4.3
(1,866)

Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...

8. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

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4.3
(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

9. Understanding HIPAA Compliance

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4.5
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This course helps you understand the various rules under HIPAA and how to be compliant with that...

10. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

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4.6
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Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

11. Fundamentals of Insurance - 2

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4.4
(5,370)

Part 2...

12. Understanding and Complying with HIPAA

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4.5
(11,149)

This program will train you on the HIPAA and provide an overview on the rules governing protected health information...

13. Fundamentals of Insurance - 1

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4.4
(8,948)

Part 1...

14. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office

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4.4
(766)

A healthcare professional's guide to understanding the requirements HIPAA...

15. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

16. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries

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4.4
(1,649)

Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...

17. Diploma Course in Labour Laws and Statutory Compliances

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4.2
(553)

Every HR and Entrepreneur should know - with FAQs...

18. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

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4.5
(3,956)

Used by ChaseĀ®, IntelĀ®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

19. Information Security Basics for IT Support Technicians

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4.3
(300)

Learn the basics of information security and what you need to know to be compliant with data protection regulations...

20. Human Resources (HR) Training for Entry Level Professionals

udemy
4.2
(257)

How To Get Your First Job As An HR Assistant...

Top 10 most affordable universities for compensation and benefits technicians

The most affordable schools for compensation and benefits technicians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for compensation and benefits technicians 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 and benefits technicians.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for compensation and benefits technicians

The hardest universities for compensation and benefits technicians to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for compensation and benefits technicians 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 and benefits technicians 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for compensation and benefits technicians

The easiest schools for compensation and benefits technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a compensation and benefits technician 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 and benefits technicians.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average compensation and benefits technician salary by education level

According to our data, compensation and benefits technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,554 annually. Compensation and benefits technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $51,439.
Compensation and benefits technician education levelCompensation and benefits technician salary
Bachelor's Degree$63,554
Some College/ Associate Degree$51,439

Compensation and benefits technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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