Plan administrator vs benefit director

The differences between plan administrators and benefit directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a plan administrator and a benefit director. Additionally, a benefit director has an average salary of $110,567, which is higher than the $68,435 average annual salary of a plan administrator.

The top three skills for a plan administrator include payroll, HR and plan administration. The most important skills for a benefit director are human resources, oversight, and ERISA.

Plan administrator vs benefit director overview

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Director
Yearly salary	$68,435	$110,567
Hourly rate	$32.90	$53.16
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	51,856	9,650
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	6	6

What does a plan administrator do?

A plan administrator's duties depend on their line of work or place of employment. Still, they typically include understanding the client or the project's needs, developing plans, performing research and analysis, liaising with internal and external parties, setting goals, establishing guidelines and timelines, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They must also respond to issues and concerns, resolving them efficiently. Moreover, as a plan administrator, it is essential to monitor the daily operations and manage staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a benefit director do?

Benefits directors are professionals who plan and direct the overall design, implementation, and administration of an organization's health and welfare benefits programs. To support the decision making of the management, these directors are required to analyze benefit options and predict future costs. They should study programs so that they can identify benefit options as well as obtain advice from consultants. Benefits directors must study existing and new legislation so that they can comply with federal, state, and legal requirements and advise the management on needed actions.

Plan administrator vs benefit director salary

Plan administrators and benefit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Director
Average salary	$68,435	$110,567
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $103,000	Between $73,000 And $165,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	New York	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Apple	Cornerstone Research
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Technology

Differences between plan administrator and benefit director education

There are a few differences between a plan administrator and a benefit director in terms of educational background:

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Plan administrator vs benefit director demographics

Here are the differences between plan administrators' and benefit directors' demographics:

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Director
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9%	Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	35%	35%

Differences between plan administrator and benefit director duties and responsibilities

Plan administrator example 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.

Benefit director example responsibilities.

Lead project to implement third-party ACA tax form processing for over 30,000 employee records.
Manage relate HRIS systems, software applications for benefit administration.
Lead departmental PeopleSoft projects and initiatives; involve in systems testing when additional system upgrades are implemented.
Implement HIPAA compliant wellness programs, including biometric testing.
Well verse with ERISA and HIPPA reporting.
Work with outside ERISA counsel on pension issues.

Plan administrator vs benefit director skills

Common plan administrator skills

Payroll, 9%
HR, 7%
Plan Administration, 6%
Database, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%
SOX, 4%

Common benefit director skills

Human Resources, 10%
Oversight, 6%
ERISA, 5%
Open Enrollment, 5%
HIPAA, 5%
HRIS, 4%

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Plan Administrator
Plan Administrator vs Benefit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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