Pension administrator vs benefits advisor

The differences between pension administrators 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 a pension administrator and a benefits advisor. Additionally, a benefits advisor has an average salary of $71,377, which is higher than the $57,547 average annual salary of a pension administrator.

The top three skills for a pension administrator include customer service, plan administration and IRS. The most important skills for a benefits advisor are insurance benefits, patients, and inbound calls.

Pension administrator vs benefits advisor overview

	Pension Administrator	Benefits Advisor
Yearly salary	$57,547	$71,377
Hourly rate	$27.67	$34.32
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	50,422	48,023
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

Pension administrator vs benefits advisor salary

Pension administrators and benefits advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pension Administrator	Benefits Advisor
Average salary	$57,547	$71,377
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $87,000	Between $46,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	Needham, MA	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Kerkering Barberio	Chevron
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between pension administrator and benefits advisor education

There are a few differences between a pension administrator and a benefits advisor in terms of educational background:

	Pension Administrator	Benefits Advisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Pension administrator vs benefits advisor demographics

Here are the differences between pension administrators' and benefits advisors' demographics:

	Pension Administrator	Benefits Advisor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.4% 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 pension administrator and benefits advisor duties and responsibilities

Pension administrator example responsibilities.

Lead special project team construct to interpret the initial impact of ERISA legislation on company pension operations.
Participate in establishing and testing pension plans on PeopleSoft to automate applicable calculations.
Assist in plan design issues that comply with client needs and ERISA and DOL laws.
Train in filing of 5500 tax returns with the DOL.
Review trend analysis for fail ACP and ADP tests.
Conduct top heavy, ADP, and ACP compliance testing of define contribution plans.

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.

Pension administrator vs benefits advisor skills

Common pension administrator skills

Customer Service, 11%
Plan Administration, 9%
IRS, 7%
Financial Statements, 7%
ERISA, 7%
DOL, 5%

Common benefits advisor skills

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

Pension Administrator vs. similar jobs

Pension Administrator related careers

Pension Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Pension Administrator
Pension Administrator vs Benefits Advisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs