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The differences between compensation specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a compensation specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a compensation specialist has an average salary of $67,722, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a compensation specialist include human resources, compensation programs and customer service. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Compensation Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $67,722 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $32.56 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 32,642 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Compensation specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Compensation Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $67,722 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $110,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a compensation specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Compensation Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between compensation specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Compensation Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |