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Compensation director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a compensation director. Compensation directors usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 74% of compensation directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 932 real compensation director resumes to see exactly what compensation director education sections show.
The most common colleges for compensation directors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online compensation director courses to help get the education required to be a compensation director.
There are certain compensation director certifications that you should consider. These compensation director certifications include Certified Cost Professional (CCP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
What education do you need to become a compensation director?
What degree do you need to be a compensation director?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a compensation director?
- Business, 30%
- Psychology, 9%
- Accounting, 7%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for compensation directors
| Compensation director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.32% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 7.32% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.50% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | 6.50% |
| Cornell University | 6.50% |
Best majors for compensation directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 30.4% |
| 2 | Human Resources Management | 13.0% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.4% |
| 4 | Accounting | 6.8% |
| 5 | Finance | 6.5% |
Best colleges for compensation directors
The best colleges for compensation directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A compensation director 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 directors. 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 directors.
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 directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for compensation directors
The most affordable schools for compensation directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for compensation directors 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 directors.
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 directors
The hardest universities for compensation directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for compensation directors 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 directors 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 directors
The easiest schools for compensation directors 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 director 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 directors.
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 director salary by education level
| Compensation director education level | Compensation director salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $135,063 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $115,906 |
Compensation director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025