Compensation specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator

The differences between compensation specialists and benefits & payroll administrators 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 specialist and a benefits & payroll administrator. Additionally, a compensation specialist has an average salary of $67,722, which is higher than the $50,662 average annual salary of a benefits & payroll administrator.

The top three skills for a compensation specialist include human resources, compensation programs and customer service. The most important skills for a benefits & payroll administrator are human resources, HRIS, and cobra.

Compensation specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator overview

	Compensation Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Yearly salary	$67,722	$50,662
Hourly rate	$32.56	$24.36
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	32,642	61,356
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a compensation specialist do?

A compensation specialist is responsible for evaluating the organization's benefits package for the employees, following the state regulations and legislation procedures. Compensation specialists identify the staff needs and develop opportunities that would maximize productivity and increase efficiency. They also analyze the market performance to adjust compensation rates according to roles as needed with the coordination of the finance department. A compensation specialist facilitates orientations for new programs and informs the employees about any changes in the payment system.

What does a benefits & payroll administrator do?

The Benefits and Payroll Administrator manages the company's payroll, ensuring work benefits and employee documents are secure. The administrator also delivers employees' issues and concerns to the company's proper channels. This position also helps in the audit of the company and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. This administrative position requires bookkeeping knowledge, a bachelor's degree, and experience in using spreadsheets and accounting software.

Compensation specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator salary

Compensation specialists and benefits & payroll administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Compensation Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Average salary	$67,722	$50,662
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $110,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Microsoft	HGA
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between compensation specialist and benefits & payroll administrator education

There are a few differences between a compensation specialist and a benefits & payroll administrator in terms of educational background:

	Compensation Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Compensation specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator demographics

Here are the differences between compensation specialists' and benefits & payroll administrators' demographics:

	Compensation Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7%	Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between compensation specialist and benefits & payroll administrator duties and responsibilities

Compensation specialist example responsibilities.

Manage contractor terminations/hiring, process exceeding target of updating PeopleSoft within one business day.
Manage special projects including a compensation structure redesign, a performance evaluation redesign and a PeopleSoft implementation.
Evaluate new and current job descriptions for appropriate placement in salary structure and FLSA overtime exemption rules.
Evaluate FLSA status and appropriate salary structure positioning.
Conduct HRIS audit and quality assurance to ensure data integrity and accuracy.
Coordinate and complete all ERISA and other regulatory filing requirements.

Benefits & payroll administrator example responsibilities.

Manage HRIS, recruiting, training, and time and attendance programs as well as trouble shooting.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Ensure accuracy of all benefit enrollments and life status changes record in the HRIS to provide vendors with accurate eligibility information.
Complete weekly internal payroll reports and fund employee accounts (HSA and 401K).
Process benefit elections, merit raises, salary changes, garnishments, cobra and severance.
Administer employee benefits programs including group medical, dental, vision, group life and FSA.

Compensation specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator skills

Common compensation specialist skills

Human Resources, 12%
Compensation Programs, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
HRIS, 7%
Data Analysis, 5%
FLSA, 5%

Common benefits & payroll administrator skills

Human Resources, 6%
HRIS, 6%
Cobra, 6%
Payroll System, 4%
Open Enrollment, 4%
ADP Payroll, 4%

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Compensation Specialist vs Benefits & Payroll Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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