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Employee benefits specialist vs compensation specialist

The differences between employee benefits specialists and compensation specialists 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 compensation specialist. Additionally, a compensation specialist has an average salary of $67,722, 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 compensation specialist are human resources, compensation programs, and customer service.

Employee benefits specialist vs compensation specialist overview

Employee Benefits SpecialistCompensation Specialist
Yearly salary$45,893$67,722
Hourly rate$22.06$32.56
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs18,64432,642
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4545
Years of experience66

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 They must work with database systems to maintain digital files while removing and destroying outdated or obsolete files.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 compensation specialist do?

A compensation specialist is responsible for evaluating the organization's benefits package for the employees, following the state regulations and legislation procedures. Compensation specialists identify the staff needs and develop opportunities that would maximize productivity and increase efficiency. They also analyze the market performance to adjust compensation rates according to roles as needed with the coordination of the finance department. A compensation specialist facilitates orientations for new programs and informs the employees about any changes in the payment system.

Employee benefits specialist vs compensation specialist salary

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

Employee Benefits SpecialistCompensation Specialist
Average salary$45,893$67,722
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $67,000Between $41,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CityParsippany-Troy Hills, NJSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWashington
Best paying companyRSM USMicrosoft
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between employee benefits specialist and compensation specialist education

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

Employee Benefits SpecialistCompensation Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Employee benefits specialist vs compensation specialist demographics

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

Employee Benefits SpecialistCompensation Specialist
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 28.1% Female, 71.9%Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between employee benefits specialist and compensation specialist 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.
  • Show more

Compensation specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage contractor terminations/hiring, process exceeding target of updating PeopleSoft within one business day.
  • Manage special projects including a compensation structure redesign, a performance evaluation redesign and a PeopleSoft implementation.
  • Evaluate new and current job descriptions for appropriate placement in salary structure and FLSA overtime exemption rules.
  • Evaluate FLSA status and appropriate salary structure positioning.
  • Conduct HRIS audit and quality assurance to ensure data integrity and accuracy.
  • Coordinate and complete all ERISA and other regulatory filing requirements.
  • Show more

Employee benefits specialist vs compensation specialist skills

Common employee benefits specialist skills
  • RFP, 13%
  • Health Benefits, 10%
  • Cobra, 6%
  • Human Resources, 6%
  • HIPAA, 5%
  • HRIS, 4%
Common compensation specialist skills
  • Human Resources, 12%
  • Compensation Programs, 10%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • HRIS, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • FLSA, 5%

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