Plan administrator vs benefit specialist

The differences between plan administrators and benefit 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 plan administrator and a benefit specialist. Additionally, a plan administrator has an average salary of $68,435, which is higher than the $48,756 average annual salary of a benefit specialist.

The top three skills for a plan administrator include payroll, HR and plan administration. The most important skills for a benefit specialist are customer service, HR, and patients.

Plan administrator vs benefit specialist overview

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Specialist
Yearly salary	$68,435	$48,756
Hourly rate	$32.90	$23.44
Growth rate	2%	7%
Number of jobs	51,856	31,663
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	46	45
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 specialist do?

A benefits specialist is responsible for analyzing and processing the compensation package of an organization, ensuring that the salary and benefits received by an employee adhere to the current legislation procedures. Benefits specialists develop benefits programs, adjusting pension plans and insurance options as needed, and updating the employees on recent updates and changes. A benefits specialist responds to employees' inquiries, addresses their concerns, and manages benefits issues. A benefits specialist must have a clear understanding of benefits policies and processes to educate employees about the benefits structure.

Plan administrator vs benefit specialist salary

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

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Specialist
Average salary	$68,435	$48,756
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $103,000	Between $34,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Connecticut
Best paying company	Apple	Qorvo
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between plan administrator and benefit specialist education

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

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Plan administrator vs benefit specialist demographics

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

	Plan Administrator	Benefit Specialist
Average age	46	45
Gender ratio	Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9%	Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	35%	9%

Differences between plan administrator and benefit specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Manage various employee program such as life, medical, dental pension, and HSA accounts.
Examine HMO documents to verify eligibility to process or reject into or from a manage care plan when necessary.
Input daily time and PTO, manage benefits, report new hires, input sales, oversee accounts receivable.
Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
Implement new vendor for FSA administration and manage outstanding issues through continuous follow-up and vendor accountability.
Analyze, process and manage FMLA claims to determine eligibility and certification in compliance with state and federal regulations.

Plan administrator vs benefit specialist skills

Common plan administrator skills

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

Common benefit specialist skills

Customer Service, 13%
HR, 8%
Patients, 5%
HRIS, 5%
Life Insurance, 5%
Cobra, 5%

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Executive Management Industry
Plan Administrator
Plan Administrator vs Benefit Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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