Enrollment specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator

The differences between enrollment specialists and benefits & payroll administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an enrollment specialist and a benefits & payroll administrator. Additionally, a benefits & payroll administrator has an average salary of $50,662, which is higher than the $39,666 average annual salary of an enrollment specialist.

The top three skills for an enrollment specialist include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for a benefits & payroll administrator are human resources, HRIS, and cobra.

Enrollment specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator overview

	Enrollment Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Yearly salary	$39,666	$50,662
Hourly rate	$19.07	$24.36
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	25,464	61,356
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does an enrollment specialist do?

Typically the responsibilities of an enrollment specialist revolve around gathering information from clients, explaining policies and regulations, obtaining requirements, and determining whether the clients are eligible for the program or service. They also process and verify applications, maintain records and database of information, and handle any issues and concerns. There are also instances where they must manage billing and even process payments. Furthermore, an enrollment specialist must adhere to the company's policies and standards while reaching out to clients.

What does a benefits & payroll administrator do?

The Benefits and Payroll Administrator manages the company's payroll, ensuring work benefits and employee documents are secure. The administrator also delivers employees' issues and concerns to the company's proper channels. This position also helps in the audit of the company and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. This administrative position requires bookkeeping knowledge, a bachelor's degree, and experience in using spreadsheets and accounting software.

Enrollment specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator salary

Enrollment specialists and benefits & payroll administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Enrollment Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Average salary	$39,666	$50,662
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $54,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	HGA
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between enrollment specialist and benefits & payroll administrator education

There are a few differences between an enrollment specialist and a benefits & payroll administrator in terms of educational background:

	Enrollment Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Enrollment specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator demographics

Here are the differences between enrollment specialists' and benefits & payroll administrators' demographics:

	Enrollment Specialist	Benefits & Payroll Administrator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 11.7% Female, 88.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between enrollment specialist and benefits & payroll administrator duties and responsibilities

Enrollment specialist example responsibilities.

Manage the TRICARE information program by presenting information utilizing available media, group presentations, or mailings.
Manage customer relations with internal personnel, group administrators, brokers and members as related to HMO commercial insurance.
Maintain records pertaining to eligibility and enrollment by managing CMS reports.
Provide enrollment counseling to eligible recipients about Medicaid manage care and promote their voluntary enrollment into an HMO.
Analyze, process and manage FMLA claims to determine eligibility and certification in compliance with state and federal regulations.
Assist medical assistance consumers with choosing HMO's and PCP as well as with HMO and PCP transfers.

Benefits & payroll administrator example responsibilities.

Manage HRIS, recruiting, training, and time and attendance programs as well as trouble shooting.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Ensure accuracy of all benefit enrollments and life status changes record in the HRIS to provide vendors with accurate eligibility information.
Complete weekly internal payroll reports and fund employee accounts (HSA and 401K).
Process benefit elections, merit raises, salary changes, garnishments, cobra and severance.
Administer employee benefits programs including group medical, dental, vision, group life and FSA.

Enrollment specialist vs benefits & payroll administrator skills

Common enrollment specialist skills

Customer Service, 20%
Patients, 12%
Data Entry, 8%
Health Insurance, 7%
Enrollment Process, 6%
Outbound Calls, 5%

Common benefits & payroll administrator skills

Human Resources, 6%
HRIS, 6%
Cobra, 6%
Payroll System, 4%
Open Enrollment, 4%
ADP Payroll, 4%

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Enrollment Specialist vs Benefits & Payroll Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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