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Pension administrator vs compensation specialist

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

Pension administrator vs compensation specialist overview

Pension AdministratorCompensation Specialist
Yearly salary$57,547$67,722
Hourly rate$27.67$32.56
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs50,42232,642
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4545
Years of experience66

Pension administrator vs compensation specialist salary

Pension administrators and compensation specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Pension AdministratorCompensation Specialist
Average salary$57,547$67,722
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $87,000Between $41,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CityNeedham, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWashington
Best paying companyKerkering BarberioMicrosoft
Best paying industry--

Differences between pension administrator and compensation specialist education

There are a few differences between a pension administrator and a compensation specialist in terms of educational background:

Pension AdministratorCompensation Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Pension administrator vs compensation specialist demographics

Here are the differences between pension administrators' and compensation specialists' demographics:

Pension AdministratorCompensation Specialist
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 35.7% Female, 64.3%Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 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 pension administrator and compensation specialist 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.
  • 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

Pension administrator vs compensation specialist skills

Common pension administrator skills
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Plan Administration, 9%
  • IRS, 7%
  • Financial Statements, 7%
  • ERISA, 7%
  • DOL, 5%
Common compensation specialist skills
  • Human Resources, 12%
  • Compensation Programs, 10%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • HRIS, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • FLSA, 5%

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