Employee benefits specialist vs benefits advisor

The differences between employee benefits specialists and benefits advisors 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 specialist and a benefits advisor. Additionally, a benefits advisor has an average salary of $71,377, which is higher than the $45,893 average annual salary of an employee benefits specialist.

The top three skills for an employee benefits specialist include RFP, health benefits and cobra. The most important skills for a benefits advisor are insurance benefits, patients, and inbound calls.

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits advisor overview

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Advisor
Yearly salary	$45,893	$71,377
Hourly rate	$22.06	$34.32
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	18,644	48,023
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does an employee benefits specialist do?

Document clerks are employees who are responsible for tracking and controlling technical documents according to the business standards of an organization. These clerks are required to scan and photocopy business-related documents such as client files, correspondence, and company records. They must work with database systems to maintain digital files while removing and destroying outdated or obsolete files. Document clerks must also verify information in company documents to ensure that the information of clients is correct and resent in all documents.

What does a benefits advisor do?

A benefits advisor specializes in devising benefits programs and strategies for a workforce, ensuring they are well-compensated for their hard work. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of employees in a company, studying the benefit programs of competitors, and assessing the existing programs while putting the company's welfare into consideration. They must prepare reports and presentations for clients, provide cost-estimates and business plans, and evaluate risks, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits advisor salary

Employee benefits specialists and benefits advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Advisor
Average salary	$45,893	$71,377
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $67,000	Between $46,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	RSM US	Chevron
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between employee benefits specialist and benefits advisor education

There are a few differences between an employee benefits specialist and a benefits advisor in terms of educational background:

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Advisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits advisor demographics

Here are the differences between employee benefits specialists' and benefits advisors' demographics:

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Advisor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between employee benefits specialist and benefits advisor duties and responsibilities

Employee benefits specialist example responsibilities.

Manage submission process of all documents to the IRS for approval.
Manage newly trusteed and terminate pension plans to ensure termination complies with ERISA.
Manage payroll deductions, responsible for monthly insurance premium payments, and coordinate/communicate annual open enrollment.
Account coordinator for health, dental, fsa, hsa, supplemental coverages.
Process and maintain FSA, HSA, and HRA contributions, deductions, and reimbursements.
Create new HIPAA privacy compliance plan.

Benefits advisor example responsibilities.

Manage broker and group accounts throughout the year administering qualify changes, terminations, and ACA compliance.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Function as a liaison between the patient, hospital and governmental agencies to obtain documentation require for Medicaid eligibility determination.
Maintain employee benefit records in HRIS system, including qualifying event records, personal information updates, and employment status changes.
Evaluate patients for existing insurance coverage, federal and state assistance programs, or hospital charity application.
Use tactful and effective interview techniques to obtain pertinent information to assure accurate eligibility determination for Medicaid.

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits advisor skills

Common employee benefits specialist skills

RFP, 13%
Health Benefits, 10%
Cobra, 6%
Human Resources, 6%
HIPAA, 5%
HRIS, 4%

Common benefits advisor skills

Insurance Benefits, 21%
Patients, 12%
Inbound Calls, 10%
Medicare Advantage, 6%
Insurance Products, 6%
Medicaid, 5%

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Employee Benefits Specialist
Employee Benefits Specialist vs Benefits Advisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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