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Compensation/benefits specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a compensation/benefits specialist. Compensation/benefits specialists usually study business, human resources management, or accounting. 68% of compensation/benefits specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 429 real compensation/benefits specialist resumes to see exactly what compensation/benefits specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for compensation/benefits specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online compensation/benefits specialist courses to help get the education required to be a compensation/benefits specialist.
There are certain compensation/benefits specialist certifications that you should consider. These compensation/benefits specialist certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS).
What education do you need to become a compensation/benefits specialist?
What degree do you need to be a compensation/benefits specialist?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 12%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a compensation/benefits specialist?
- Business, 36%
- Accounting, 5%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for compensation/benefits specialists
| Compensation/benefits specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.63% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 9.38% |
| Temple University | 6.25% |
| North Central College | 6.25% |
| Northern Illinois University | 6.25% |
Best majors for compensation/benefits specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.8% |
| 2 | Human Resources Management | 21.4% |
| 3 | Accounting | 5.4% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.7% |
| 5 | Management | 4.3% |
Best colleges for compensation/benefits specialists
The best colleges for compensation/benefits specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A compensation/benefits specialist 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/benefits specialists. 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/benefits specialists.
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/benefits specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Compensation and Benefits for Beginners
This course is a beginners guide to understanding compensation and benefits...
2. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24
Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...
3. Performance Management and Compensation Management in HRM
Performance Management and Compensation Management Complete Course...
4. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
5. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course
Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...
6. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)
An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...
7. Certification Course in Human Resource Management
Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...
8. Diploma Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)
Become top-notch HRM Practitioner - Get Live Projects, Ready-to-use Templates, Demos, Quizzes, Articles, Case studies...
9. Hands-On HR Analytics Online Course for Human Resources
People Analytics & Analytical Process to Human Capital XL & Open Source Data Mining & ML Tools 6 Data Assignments...
10. Human Resources (HR) Training for Entry Level Professionals
How To Get Your First Job As An HR Assistant...
11. Effective Human Resource Administration
Effective Human Resource Administration...
12. The Complete Recruiting Masterclass - HR Resources - Hiring
HR Managers - You Can Hire the Right People - Talent Management Skills for Human Resources Professionals...
13. Administrative Human Resources (HR) for Beginners
This course is an introduction to the role and duties of Human Resources (HR)...
14. HR 101: Compliance Made Easy - U.S. Employers Must Have
Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...
15. Strategic Planning Basics for Human Resources
Learn to collaborate with your organizational leaders on the development and implementation of a strategic plan...
16. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management
What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...
17. Tableau Data Analyst/Specialist Desktop Certification
From beginners to skills needed for Data Analyst or Desktop Specialist certifications. Tableau 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020...
18. Tableau Data Analyst & Specialist Certifications /w Datasets
Get ready for Tableau Certifications: Specialist Desktop & Data Analyst. Hands-On Datasets & Exam Guarantee!...
19. Payroll Management
Use free UK payroll software to perform essential payroll management...
20. Human Resources For Beginners
A guide to learning the fundamentals of human resource management...
Top 10 most affordable universities for compensation/benefits specialists
The most affordable schools for compensation/benefits specialists 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/benefits specialists 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/benefits specialists.
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/benefits specialists
The hardest universities for compensation/benefits specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for compensation/benefits specialists 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/benefits specialists 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/benefits specialists
The easiest schools for compensation/benefits specialists 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/benefits specialist 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/benefits specialists.
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/benefits specialist salary by education level
| Compensation/benefits specialist education level | Compensation/benefits specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,693 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,738 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,138 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,723 |
Compensation/benefits specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025