Employee benefits manager vs benefit director

The differences between employee benefits 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 an employee benefits manager and a benefit director. Additionally, a benefit director has an average salary of $110,567, which is higher than the $85,621 average annual salary of an employee benefits manager.

The top three skills for an employee benefits manager include customer service, HR and client relationships. The most important skills for a benefit director are human resources, oversight, and ERISA.

Employee benefits manager vs benefit director overview

	Employee Benefits Manager	Benefit Director
Yearly salary	$85,621	$110,567
Hourly rate	$41.16	$53.16
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	13,906	9,650
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	6	6

What does an employee benefits manager do?

An employee benefits manager is responsible for leading the human resources department in establishing the appropriate benefits package and compensation for the employees according to industry regulations and business requirements. Employee benefits managers facilitate the programs and orientations in sharing retirement plans, insurance policies, and other related packages across the organization. They also assist the employee benefits staff in resolving issues and handling disputes from employees' concerns. An employee benefits manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the human resources practices to build recommendations that would support the employees' needs and welfare.

What does a benefit director do?

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.

Employee benefits manager vs benefit director salary

Employee benefits managers and benefit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Employee Benefits Manager	Benefit Director
Average salary	$85,621	$110,567
Salary range	Between $53,000 And $137,000	Between $73,000 And $165,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Hampshire
Best paying company	DLA Piper	Cornerstone Research
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between employee benefits manager and benefit director education

There are a few differences between an employee benefits manager and a benefit director in terms of educational background:

	Employee Benefits Manager	Benefit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Employee benefits manager vs benefit director demographics

Here are the differences between employee benefits managers' and benefit directors' demographics:

	Employee Benefits Manager	Benefit Director
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3%	Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.2% 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%

Differences between employee benefits manager and benefit director duties and responsibilities

Employee benefits manager example responsibilities.

Lead the RFP process to select a new global payroll provider; balancing the needs of all global stakeholders.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Advise executive committee on design of benefit plans and compliance with applicable IRC and ERISA regulations and DOL guidelines.
Upload electronic data interchanges, for FSA, H.S.A , 403b , 457b.
Create and maintain updated ACA relate employer require reports.
Drive full replacement CDHP plans with HSA and wellness initiatives.

Benefit director example responsibilities.

Lead project to implement third-party ACA tax form processing for over 30,000 employee records.
Manage relate HRIS systems, software applications for benefit administration.
Lead departmental PeopleSoft projects and initiatives; involve in systems testing when additional system upgrades are implemented.
Implement HIPAA compliant wellness programs, including biometric testing.
Well verse with ERISA and HIPPA reporting.
Work with outside ERISA counsel on pension issues.

Employee benefits manager vs benefit director skills

Common employee benefits manager skills

Customer Service, 13%
HR, 9%
Client Relationships, 6%
Senior Level Management, 6%
Due Diligence, 5%
Cross-Selling, 5%

Common benefit director skills

Human Resources, 10%
Oversight, 6%
ERISA, 5%
Open Enrollment, 5%
HIPAA, 5%
HRIS, 4%

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Employee Benefits Manager
Employee Benefits Manager vs Benefit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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