Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between compensation managers and benefit directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a compensation manager and a benefit director. Additionally, a benefit director has an average salary of $110,567, which is higher than the $100,119 average annual salary of a compensation manager.
The top three skills for a compensation manager include human resources, HRIS and compensation policies. The most important skills for a benefit director are human resources, oversight, and ERISA.
| Compensation Manager | Benefit Director | |
| Yearly salary | $100,119 | $110,567 |
| Hourly rate | $48.13 | $53.16 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 7,941 | 9,650 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A compensation manager is primarily responsible for developing and establishing a company's payment scale and system, ensuring all employees are well-compensated while putting the company's welfare into consideration. Moreover, a compensation manager must ensure to distribute benefits and pay rate in adherence to the laws and regulations, identify the wage rate of competitor companies, monitor the budget, and oversee the payroll and payment processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Benefits directors are professionals who plan and direct the overall design, implementation, and administration of an organization's health and welfare benefits programs. To support the decision making of the management, these directors are required to analyze benefit options and predict future costs. They should study programs so that they can identify benefit options as well as obtain advice from consultants. Benefits directors must study existing and new legislation so that they can comply with federal, state, and legal requirements and advise the management on needed actions.
Compensation managers and benefit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Compensation Manager | Benefit Director | |
| Average salary | $100,119 | $110,567 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $139,000 | Between $73,000 And $165,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | DLA Piper | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a compensation manager and a benefit director in terms of educational background:
| Compensation Manager | Benefit Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between compensation managers' and benefit directors' demographics:
| Compensation Manager | Benefit Director | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 35% | 35% |