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Compensation specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a compensation specialist. Compensation specialists usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 63% of compensation specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,680 real compensation specialist resumes to see exactly what compensation specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for compensation specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online compensation specialist courses to help get the education required to be a compensation specialist.
There are certain compensation specialist certifications that you should consider. These compensation specialist certifications include Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).
What education do you need to become a compensation specialist?
What degree do you need to be a compensation specialist?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a compensation specialist?
- Business, 33%
- Psychology, 9%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for compensation specialists
| Compensation specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 17.14% |
| DeVry University | 6.43% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.71% |
| Temple University | 5.00% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.00% |
Best majors for compensation specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.8% |
| 2 | Human Resources Management | 11.9% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.7% |
| 4 | Accounting | 6.2% |
| 5 | Management | 5.0% |
Best colleges for compensation specialists
The best colleges for compensation specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A compensation specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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 specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Managing Employee Compensation
Whether you're writing paychecks or wondering where yours comes from, this course is for you! We begin by asking: "To succeed, what kind of a person does your organization need to attract, retain, and motivate?" From there, we'll explain how to align your organization's objectives, its pay philosophy, and ultimately the way it designs and implements its salary structure, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, and benefits. Interested in learning more about the technical aspects of...
2. Accounting Analysis II: Accounting for Liabilities and Equity
This course is the fourth course in a five-course Financial Reporting Specialization. This course focuses on the recognition, measurement, and subsequent accounting for equity, pensions, share-based compensation, and cash flows utilizing the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and other resources...
3. Compensation and Benefits for Beginners
This course is a beginners guide to understanding compensation and benefits...
4. Performance Management and Compensation Management in HRM
Performance Management and Compensation Management Complete Course...
5. Sales Operations/Management
Sales jobs span nearly every industry, from agribusiness and pharmaceuticals, to telecommunications and property management. And essential to sales is the management of the sales force. This course provides the knowledge and know how required for careers in sales management. Students are exposed to all facets of sales management, including organizing, selecting, training, motivating, supervising and compensating the sales force, territory management and administration and sales and expense...
6. Utilize Survey Monkey as an Evaluation Tool
Surveys and evaluations can be used to reflect on your training or customer experiences. The data you collect can help to adjust your training and you can find out directly from your employees if they are satisfied. Customers can let you know what they are thinking and what they actually want. In this project you will learn about Survey Monkey as an evaluation tool throughout the cycle of developing an event. By the end of your time in this project you will have multiple evaluation surveys to...
7. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24
Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...
8. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
9. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course
Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...
10. Certification Course in Human Resource Management
Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...
11. Diploma Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)
Become top-notch HRM Practitioner - Get Live Projects, Ready-to-use Templates, Demos, Quizzes, Articles, Case studies...
12. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)
An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...
13. Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate a New Job Offer (Pro)
Earn thousands by finding what you're worth, knowing exactly what to say, and negotiating your pay with confidence...
14. The Complete Recruiting Masterclass - HR Resources - Hiring
HR Managers - You Can Hire the Right People - Talent Management Skills for Human Resources Professionals...
15. Hands-On HR Analytics Online Course for Human Resources
People Analytics & Analytical Process to Human Capital XL & Open Source Data Mining & ML Tools 6 Data Assignments...
16. Internal Audit: a Guide for Management
Internal Audit, Risk Management, Compliance, Governance, Internal Controls, CIA, Audit Report, Audit Charter, IIA...
17. Data Science Career Guide - Interview Preparation
Prepare for your Data Science Interview with this full guide on a career in Data Science including practice questions!...
18. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales
How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...
19. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
20. Salary Negotiation - How to Ask for and Receive a Pay Raise
A Salary Negotiation step-by-step plan to prepare you for asking and receiving a pay raise...
Top 10 most affordable universities for compensation specialists
The most affordable schools for compensation specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for compensation specialists 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 specialists.
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for compensation specialists
The hardest universities for compensation specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for compensation specialists 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 specialists 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for compensation specialists
The easiest schools for compensation specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a compensation specialist 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 specialists.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average compensation specialist salary by education level
| Compensation specialist education level | Compensation specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,851 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $65,268 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,847 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,989 |
Compensation specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025