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The differences between compensation specialists and human resource specialists 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 human resource specialist. Additionally, a compensation specialist has an average salary of $67,722, which is higher than the $53,143 average annual salary of a human resource specialist.
The top three skills for a compensation specialist include human resources, compensation programs and customer service. The most important skills for a human resource specialist are data entry, oversight, and life insurance.
| Compensation Specialist | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $67,722 | $53,143 |
| Hourly rate | $32.56 | $25.55 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 32,642 | 50,511 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A human resources specialist is responsible for assisting in the recruitment and staffing process. Duties of a human resources specialist include updating the requirements and qualifications of a job post, handling employees' inquiries regarding compensation and benefits, maintaining employees' records, updating the status of new joiners, tracking performance reviews, and generating reports as business requires. A human resource specialist must be detail-oriented, as well as excellent in organizational and communication skills. Additionally, a human resource specialist must have a broad knowledge of the recruitment process and structure.
Compensation specialists and human resource specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Compensation Specialist | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average salary | $67,722 | $53,143 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $110,000 | Between $36,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a compensation specialist and a human resource specialist in terms of educational background:
| Compensation Specialist | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between compensation specialists' and human resource specialists' demographics:
| Compensation Specialist | Human Resource Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% | Male, 26.9% Female, 73.1% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |