How to hire a plan administrator

How to hire a plan administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step plan administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a plan administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new plan administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a plan administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the plan administrator you need to hire. Certain plan administrator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A plan administrator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, plan administrators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of plan administrators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Plan Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Plan Administrator	Compensation managers plan, develop, and oversee programs to determine how much an organization pays its employees and how employees are paid. Benefits managers plan, direct, and coordinate retirement plans, health insurance, and other benefits that an organization offers its employees.	$21-49
   Compensation Manager	A compensation manager is primarily responsible for developing and establishing a company's payment scale and system, ensuring all employees are well-compensated while putting the company's welfare into consideration. Moreover, a compensation manager must ensure to distribute benefits and pay rate in adherence to the laws and regulations, identify the wage rate of competitor companies, monitor the budget, and oversee the payroll and payment processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness... Show more	$34-66
   Benefits Counselor	A benefits counselor manages the company or organization's employee benefits programs. Job responsibilities may include designing and administering the benefits program to ensure company and employee needs are met, as well as assisting and educating employees in benefits enrollment activities... Show more	$21-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Payroll
   • HR
   • Plan Administration
   • Database
   • PowerPoint
   • SOX
   • DOL
   • Financial Reports
   • Strong Analytical
   • Calculation
   • ERISA
   • Recordkeeping
   • Hyperion
   • Life Insurance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create custom macro to expedite data transfer of manage ESOP.
   • Participate in establishing and testing pension plans on PeopleSoft to automate applicable calculations.
   • Establish and maintain IRA, SEP, SARSEP and Keogh plans.
   • Gather plan date (census, assets) from clients, CPA's, attorneys, and investment brokers.
   • Process monthly stock option and RSU grants.
   • Prepare RSU tax withholding calculations for mobility employees on a monthly basis.

   More plan administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your plan administrator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A plan administrator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, plan administrators' average salary in florida is 49% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level plan administrators earn 56% less than senior-level plan administrators.
   • Certifications. A plan administrator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a plan administrator's salary.

   Average plan administrator salary

   $68,435yearly

   $32.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level plan administrator salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average plan administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$81,962	$39
   2	New Jersey	$81,937	$39
   3	Massachusetts	$79,956	$38
   4	District of Columbia	$73,575	$35
   5	Nevada	$72,063	$35
   6	Illinois	$71,301	$34
   7	North Dakota	$70,545	$34
   8	Arizona	$69,954	$34
   9	California	$69,348	$33
   10	Maryland	$67,428	$32
   11	Iowa	$65,742	$32
   12	Missouri	$65,646	$32
   13	Minnesota	$65,507	$31
   14	Nebraska	$65,322	$31
   15	Pennsylvania	$64,862	$31
   16	Colorado	$63,718	$31
   17	Ohio	$62,878	$30
   18	Washington	$61,194	$29
   19	Utah	$59,014	$28
   20	North Carolina	$57,198	$28

   Average plan administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$125,085	$60.14
   2	Workday	$102,693	$49.37
   3	First Republic Bank	$100,395	$48.27
   4	Autodesk	$94,267	$45.32	1
   5	Agilent Technologies	$94,022	$45.20	4
   6	Smartsheet	$93,387	$44.90
   7	Wabtec Corporation	$92,392	$44.42	1
   8	PTC	$87,885	$42.25	3
   9	Udemy	$86,614	$41.64
   10	Gardner Denver	$85,361	$41.04
   11	HowStuffWorks	$84,682	$40.71
   12	SBA Communications	$83,179	$39.99	2
   13	Parsons	$82,495	$39.66	15
   14	UBS	$80,533	$38.72	6
   15	Tenet Healthcare	$79,828	$38.38	11
   16	Allied Consultants	$77,682	$37.35	2
   17	Capgemini	$77,091	$37.06	27
   18	Fluor Corporation	$76,604	$36.83	21
   19	Kemper	$76,426	$36.74
   20	Ascensus	$75,680	$36.38	6

4. Writing a plan administrator job description

   A plan administrator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a plan administrator job description:

   Plan administrator job description example

   Weatherford is a leading global energy services company. Our world-class experts partner with customers to optimize their resources and realize the full potential of their assets. Across our operating locations, including manufacturing, research and development, service, and training facilities, operators choose us for strategic solutions that add efficiency, flexibility, and responsibility to any energy operation.
   
   We are focused on technology development, digital solutions, and defining our footprint in the new energy space. Our ability to provide integrated solutions across our segments will be critical to growth in our core operations and the energy transition.
   
   Energy producers face unique challenges every day, so it is our job to create solutions that enhance safety, streamline operations, and sustain uptime to meet or exceed their targets. We operate across the global energy landscape employing some of the best diverse talent in the industry. At Weatherford, we understand the value each individual brings to the table. We celebrate diversity in all its forms and are immensely proud of our workforce. We invite you to join our passionate, talented, word-class team.
   
   When you join Weatherford, you instantly feel connected to something bigger - a community that is grounded by our core values and driven to create innovative solutions for our customers. We celebrate each other's successes, grow together, and learn from each other constantly. Individually, we are impressive. Together, we are unstoppable. We are One Weatherford.
   
   Weatherford offers competitive compensation, a comprehensive benefits program and provides you a challenging and enriching career path, with a healthy balance of structure and flexibility to chart your own course. We are focused on providing a challenging and enriching career path with a healthy balance of structure and flexibility to chart your own course. We are an innovative, global company with wide-ranging opportunities that include career-enhancing talent rotations. Our structured career paths will ensure that you know what it takes to build your ideal career at Weatherford when you join our Company. We also offer a comprehensive benefits program, including health insurance coverage, income protection plans, a 401(k) savings plan, Company paid holidays, and paid time off for vacation.
   
   Weatherford is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
   Responsibilities Job Requirements As a Stock Plan Analyst, you will Manage all aspects of equity plan administration by maintaining and reconciling equity program data with stock plan administrator, uploading equity grants, running reports, and answering stock plan related inquiries from employees. Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of all equity data in our system of record. Regularly reconcile equity activity with the company/broker/transfer agent records and payroll data. Support annual and ad hoc equity nominations, enrolment, and vesting processes. Support monthly accounting processes (journal entries and reconciliations related to equity and stock-based compensation). Help ensure adherence with equity plan documentation for internal and SOX compliance. Prepare data needed for SEC filings, including 10-K and proxy compensation tables. Engage with employees by providing timely responses to their questions about equity awards. Partner with internal teams including F&A, Tax, Payroll, Legal, and people on all equity-related matters, including report generation and ad hoc requests. Design effective, efficient and easy to understand custom reports and dashboards to enable the organization to make fact-based equity decisions Develop and maintain process documentation to ensure consistent, accurate and repeatable processes, as well as identify and recommend process improvement opportunities for maximum efficiency Partner with payroll across a large number of countries to ensure pay-related payments, are processed in a timely manner Maintain positive relationships with stock plan administration vendors and third-party administrators Assist with compensation related activities Adhoc projects, etc. Qualifications 7+ years of related experience Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business Administration, HR, Finance, Accounting or related discipline Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel PREFFERED Master's and relevant certifications including CCP strongly preferred Experience in the Oil and Gas Industry Compensation experience Houston, TX location is preferred, but can work at other Weatherford work locations in the US. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities REQUIRED Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment. Self-motivated individual with the ability to problem solve and work independently with a minimum level of supervision. Familiarity with enterprise HR data systems, preferably Peoplesoft 9.1 Familiarity with third party stock administration systems, preferably Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Strong attention to detail with excellent analytical skills Strong sense of urgency with demonstrated ability to work under tight deadlines and prioritize multiple activities Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational and administrative skills Highly collaborative with a strong desire to support and enable others High integrity with proven ability to handle extremely sensitive and confidential information Demonstrated track record of being a self-starter with the initiative and perseverance to deliver results Advanced analytical skills and complex problem-solving capabilities with the ability to draw conclusions from data, ensure quality and accurate data Curious, growth-oriented, proactive, and passionate about driving results Strong business and financial acumen

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find plan administrators for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any plan administrators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level plan administrators with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your plan administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality plan administrator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as hrcrossing, ihirehr, hrjobs, shrm hr jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit plan administrators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new plan administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect plan administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new plan administrator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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