Employee benefits specialist vs benefits assistant

The differences between employee benefits specialists and benefits assistants 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 assistant. Additionally, an employee benefits specialist has an average salary of $45,893, which is higher than the $39,850 average annual salary of a benefits assistant.

The top three skills for an employee benefits specialist include RFP, health benefits and cobra. The most important skills for a benefits assistant are human resources, data entry, and cobra.

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits assistant overview

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Assistant
Yearly salary	$45,893	$39,850
Hourly rate	$22.06	$19.16
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	18,644	25,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
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 They must work with database systems to maintain digital files while removing and destroying outdated or obsolete files.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 assistant do?

Typically working in a human resources department, a benefits assistant is in charge of performing clerical support tasks for an efficient workflow. They primarily communicate with employees to answer inquiries regarding benefits and compensation programs, assist in processing documents, and resolve issues and concerns. Their responsibilities also include conducting research and analysis, liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, organizing documents, and maintaining records. Above all, it is essential to carry out duties while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits assistant salary

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

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Assistant
Average salary	$45,893	$39,850
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $67,000	Between $31,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	RSM US	Irving Isd
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between employee benefits specialist and benefits assistant education

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

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits assistant demographics

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

	Employee Benefits Specialist	Benefits Assistant
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between employee benefits specialist and benefits assistant 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 assistant example responsibilities.

Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Audit HIPAA and outgoing correspondence.
Maintain strict confidentiality, observing HIPAA and other policies and guidelines.
Post patient payments, verify insurance coverage for new and Medicaid patients.
Provide information, education and assistance to clients regarding Medicare and Medicaid by phone and in person.
Audit, correct and record all attendance records, vacation records, vacation carryover and vacation/sick accruals.

Employee benefits specialist vs benefits assistant skills

Common employee benefits specialist skills

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

Common benefits assistant skills

Human Resources, 10%
Data Entry, 8%
Cobra, 7%
Health Insurance, 7%
Open Enrollment, 6%
HRIS, 5%

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Employee Benefits Specialist
Employee Benefits Specialist vs Benefits Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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