How to hire an employee benefits manager

How to hire an employee benefits manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step employee benefits manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an employee benefits manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new employee benefits manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an employee benefits manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The employee benefits manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect employee benefits manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents employee benefits manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Employee Benefits Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Employee Benefits Manager	Compensation managers plan, develop, and oversee programs to determine how much an organization pays its employees and how employees are paid. Benefits managers plan, direct, and coordinate retirement plans, health insurance, and other benefits that an organization offers its employees.	$25-65
   Plan Administrator	A plan administrator's duties depend on their line of work or place of employment. Still, they typically include understanding the client or the project's needs, developing plans, performing research and analysis, liaising with internal and external parties, setting goals, establishing guidelines and timelines, and developing strategies to optimize procedures... Show more	$21-49
   Compensation Director	A compensation director spearheads and oversees an organization or company's compensation programs, ensuring they adhere to state and federal standards. They primarily set objectives and guidelines among their staff, delegate responsibilities, facilitate research and assessments, and develop strategies to optimize compensation operations... Show more	$40-76

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • HR
   • Client Relationships
   • Senior Level Management
   • Due Diligence
   • Cross-Selling
   • Insurance Carriers
   • Health Insurance
   • PowerPoint
   • HIPAA
   • ERISA
   • Cobra
   • Life Insurance
   • Resolution Support

   Check all skills

   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.

   More employee benefits manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the employee benefits manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. An employee benefits manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an employee benefits manager in Alaska may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level employee benefits manager. Additionally, an employee benefits manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average employee benefits manager salary

   $85,621yearly

   $41.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level employee benefits manager salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 15, 2026

   Average employee benefits manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$120,185	$58
   2	District of Columbia	$110,296	$53
   3	California	$102,700	$49
   4	Michigan	$102,396	$49
   5	Maryland	$100,608	$48
   6	Nevada	$98,531	$47
   7	Ohio	$96,774	$47
   8	Pennsylvania	$94,784	$46
   9	Illinois	$94,252	$45
   10	Arizona	$94,120	$45
   11	Mississippi	$94,104	$45
   12	North Carolina	$89,288	$43
   13	Texas	$87,241	$42
   14	Missouri	$87,194	$42
   15	Georgia	$83,635	$40
   16	Oregon	$82,723	$40
   17	Minnesota	$81,087	$39
   18	South Carolina	$78,440	$38
   19	Louisiana	$77,270	$37
   20	Colorado	$76,940	$37

   Average employee benefits manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DLA Piper	$160,531	$77.18
   2	Cadence Design Systems	$127,677	$61.38
   3	Accenture	$110,938	$53.34	84
   4	Grant Thornton	$110,493	$53.12
   5	AIG	$106,237	$51.08
   6	Deloitte	$104,566	$50.27
   7	Monster Products	$97,611	$46.93
   8	Quest Diagnostics	$92,218	$44.34
   9	CBIZ	$91,029	$43.76
   10	Marsh & McLennan Companies	$85,410	$41.06	52
   11	STANDARD HOLDING INC.	$85,257	$40.99	2
   12	Alera Group	$85,257	$40.99	3
   13	CPS	$85,257	$40.99
   14	Consolidated Insurance + Risk Management	$85,162	$40.94
   15	Baldwin Risk Partners	$84,973	$40.85	11
   16	HNI	$84,926	$40.83
   17	Salesforce	$84,885	$40.81
   18	M3 Insurance	$84,835	$40.79	6
   19	GPAC	$84,325	$40.54
   20	Savoy Associates	$83,865	$40.32

4. Writing an employee benefits manager job description

   A good employee benefits manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an employee benefits manager job description:

   Employee benefits manager job description example

   We work with ambitious companies to help them de-risk their business, boost performance, and grow. If you consider yourself a benefit insurance guru and have street cred working with 100+ employee lives , we need to talk, my friend!

   Greatness does not happen by chance – it happens through consistency and a drive to deliver exceptional results. Our Account Managers ensure greatness by coordinating the delivery of top-notch service to our clients and acting as their day-to-day contact when troubleshooting issues or when guidance is needed to make decisions that position them for success.

   Here is what you’ll do:

   • You will be a player and a coach – You will support the team Account Executive by executing the client Game Plan. You will work with clients, HNI gamechangers, and business partners in the pursuit of client success.
   • You will be the play caller –You will run plays, execute passes, and score points by putting on the white glove service. You will get close to clients, learn their business and know what actions to take when things come up. With this insight, you will support the development of and be the manager of the client renewal strategy timeline .
   • You will also present to the client and the client's employees during the ever important time of year - open enrollment. This could include voice overs and member education communications.
   • You will be the master of the game - You will leverage your knowledge of the benefit coverage and programs to serve as a subject matter expert on products, capabilities, and services offered. Work through vendor RFPs as well as day to day requests .
   • You will have the mindset that winning is the only acceptable outcome – You will make clients want to hug you and will retain at least 95% of your accounts. With your superior communication skills, you will help clients have a peace-of-mind knowing they have a plan and the team to support them.

   Here is what you’ll become:

   You’ll become our client’s trusted ambassador – you’ll be the first one they think of when they are troubleshooting issues or when they need guidance to make decisions that position them for success. Based on your drive and desires, your HNI career path can go several ways – promotion to our senior level, develop into the Account Executive role and/or become a team lead.

   Desired Skills and Experience

   If you’re in the employee benefits servicing space with 5+ years of experience, a self-funded background , and have a positive, can-do attitude that helps keeps things on track and motivates those around you – you make the cut. You must have a proven success record in previous roles, be a self-starter, and can easily juggle numerous priorities without breaking a sweat – pressure is no match for you. A current Life & Health license is a must, obviously.

   Where are we working – home or office?

   Our best perk is amazing people. We believe we hire the best and the brightest that thrive from responsibility and autonomy. With that, we provide guidelines, not complex policies, and treat our people like adults. To illustrate, we offer Flexing. Our Flexing perk allows our people to create a schedule that works for them, their team, and clients along with the option to split the workweek working from the office and home.

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5. Post your job

   To find employee benefits managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any employee benefits managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level employee benefits managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your employee benefits manager job on Zippia to find and recruit employee benefits manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as hrcrossing, ihirehr, hrjobs, shrm hr jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit employee benefits managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new employee benefits manager

   Once you've selected the best employee benefits manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new employee benefits manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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