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Compensation consultant salary
Average compensation consultant salary
$90,436
Understanding Compensation Consultant Salaries
The average salary for a Compensation Consultant in the United States is $90,436 per year. This figure reflects various factors, including experience, geographic location, and the specific industry in which one works. Compensation Consultants are pivotal in designing and implementing effective salary structures that ensure employee satisfaction and organizational competitiveness.
Salary by State
Salaries can vary widely depending on the state. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher compensation compared to others due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Here are some of the highest-paying states:
- California
- New York
- Texas
- Florida
Opportunities for Growth
Compensation Consultants can explore various industries, including healthcare, finance, and technology, which tend to offer competitive salaries. Gaining specialized skills and certifications can lead to higher earning potential. Additionally, networking and building a strong professional reputation can open doors to lucrative positions.
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Where can a Compensation Consultant earn more?
Compensation consultant salary estimates from across the web
Average compensation consultant salary by state
The highest-paying states for compensation consultants are Washington, New York, and Pennsylvania. The lowest average compensation consultant salary states are Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for compensation consultants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $112,498 | $54.09 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $108,181 | $52.01 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $105,822 | $50.88 |
| 4 | New York | $112,096 | $53.89 |
| 5 | Oregon | $107,272 | $51.57 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $105,498 | $50.72 |
| 7 | Idaho | $108,050 | $51.95 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $105,495 | $50.72 |
| 9 | California | $105,899 | $50.91 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $93,889 | $45.14 |
| 11 | Nevada | $102,437 | $49.25 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $98,477 | $47.34 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $102,823 | $49.43 |
| 14 | Maine | $103,100 | $49.57 |
| 15 | Alaska | $100,212 | $48.18 |
| 16 | Delaware | $103,525 | $49.77 |
| 17 | Vermont | $93,651 | $45.02 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $92,703 | $44.57 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $91,803 | $44.14 |
| 20 | Virginia | $93,739 | $45.07 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $94,889 | $45.62 |
| 22 | Michigan | $89,602 | $43.08 |
| 23 | Texas | $86,349 | $41.51 |
| 24 | Utah | $84,466 | $40.61 |
| 25 | Arizona | $85,782 | $41.24 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $90,871 | $43.69 |
| 27 | Kansas | $86,845 | $41.75 |
| 28 | Ohio | $84,046 | $40.41 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $88,914 | $42.75 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $81,624 | $39.24 |
| 31 | Maryland | $93,519 | $44.96 |
| 32 | Illinois | $81,368 | $39.12 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $83,341 | $40.07 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $87,024 | $41.84 |
| 35 | Alabama | $74,647 | $35.89 |
| 36 | Georgia | $81,349 | $39.11 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $74,152 | $35.65 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $72,253 | $34.74 |
| 39 | Montana | $79,529 | $38.24 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $80,430 | $38.67 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $79,830 | $38.38 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $77,908 | $37.46 |
| 43 | Colorado | $80,244 | $38.58 |
| 44 | Missouri | $77,084 | $37.06 |
| 45 | Florida | $77,703 | $37.36 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $76,189 | $36.63 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $77,142 | $37.09 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $76,661 | $36.86 |
| 49 | Indiana | $71,776 | $34.51 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $67,479 | $32.44 |
| 51 | Iowa | $67,529 | $32.47 |
Highest paying cities for compensation consultants
The highest-paying cities for compensation consultants are Berkeley, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, CA | $114,929 | $55.25 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $113,067 | $54.36 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $112,227 | $53.96 |
| 4 | Carson City, NV | $111,767 | $53.73 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | $108,677 | $52.25 |
| 6 | Salem, OR | $107,466 | $51.67 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $102,817 | $49.43 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $98,559 | $47.38 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $95,086 | $45.71 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $93,763 | $45.08 |
| 11 | Brentwood, TN | $92,560 | $44.50 |
| 12 | Hartford, CT | $91,997 | $44.23 |
| 13 | Detroit, MI | $90,134 | $43.33 |
| 14 | Overland Park, KS | $86,774 | $41.72 |
| 15 | Dallas, TX | $86,721 | $41.69 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $85,931 | $41.31 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $83,308 | $40.05 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $83,219 | $40.01 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $81,970 | $39.41 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $81,182 | $39.03 |
Compensation consultant salary details
A compensation consultant's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $124,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a compensation consultant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| 75th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| Average | $90,436 | $7,536 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
Highest paying compensation consultant jobs
The highest paying types of compensation consultants are compensation director, benefit director, and hris manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hris Manager | $105,995 | $8,833 | $50.96 | 10,983 |
| Benefit Director | $110,567 | $9,214 | $53.16 | 9,650 |
| Plan Administrator | $68,435 | $5,703 | $32.90 | 51,856 |
| Benefits Manager | $64,064 | $5,339 | $30.80 | 11,164 |
| Human Resources Business Partner | $86,363 | $7,197 | $41.52 | 103,520 |
| Employee Benefits Manager | $85,621 | $7,135 | $41.16 | 13,906 |
Top companies hiring compensation consultants now:
Which companies pay compensation consultants the most?
Compensation consultant salaries at Microsoft and DoorDash are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average compensation consultant salary at companies like RGP and Parsons are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $120,215 | $57.80 |
| 2 | DoorDash | $115,667 | $55.61 |
| 3 | RGP | $115,101 | $55.34 |
| 4 | Parsons | $113,802 | $54.71 |
| 5 | Cisco | $110,392 | $53.07 |
| 6 | $108,480 | $52.15 | |
| 7 | American Century Investments | $107,642 | $51.75 |
| 8 | Warner Bros. | $105,805 | $50.87 |
| 9 | Dell | $105,204 | $50.58 |
| 10 | Amazon | $104,719 | $50.35 |
| 11 | Nike | $103,056 | $49.55 |
| 12 | Northern Trust | $102,620 | $49.34 |
| 13 | Nutanix | $99,330 | $47.75 |
| 14 | Perrigo | $99,114 | $47.65 |
| 15 | Ocean Capital | $98,726 | $47.46 |
| 16 | Avnet | $98,128 | $47.18 |
| 17 | General Motors | $97,306 | $46.78 |
| 18 | Insperity | $96,230 | $46.26 |
| 19 | Zillow Group | $95,770 | $46.04 |
| 20 | Intel | $95,681 | $46.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Compensation Consultant salary by industry
The average compensation consultant salary varies across industries:
- The average compensation consultant salary in the finance industry is $90,881, the highest of any industry.
- The average compensation consultant salary in the finance industry is $83,427.
- Compensation consultants in the health care industry earn an average salary of $71,455, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for compensation consultants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $90,881 | $43.69 |
| 2 | Professional | $83,427 | $40.11 |
| 3 | Insurance | $82,909 | $39.86 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $81,787 | $39.32 |
| 5 | Health Care | $71,455 | $34.35 |
High paying compensation consultant jobs
Compensation consultant salary trends
The average compensation consultant salary has risen by $23,734 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average compensation consultant earned $66,702 annually, but today, they earn $90,436 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for compensation consultants over the last decade.
Compare compensation consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average compensation consultant salary over time
Compare compensation consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Compensation consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $90,400 | $43.48 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | $88,400 | $42.49 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $87,500 | $42.05 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $86,100 | $41.39 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $84,000 | $40.39 | +4.1% |
Recently added compensation consultant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell | Compensation Consultant | Round Rock, TX | 06/30/2025 | $164,900 |
| Ntrs | SR Compensation Consultant | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $95,600 |
| Cannon Cochran Management | Workers' Compensation Claim Consultant, Senior | Concord, CA | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Cannon Cochran Management | Workers' Compensation Claim Consultant | Dallas, TX | 06/29/2025 | $70,000 |
| Cannon Cochran Management | Workers' Compensation Claim Consultant | Maitland, FL | 06/29/2025 | $60,000 |
| Commerce Bank | Compensation Consultant | Kansas City, MO | 06/28/2025 | $70,500 |
| Lowe's | Executive Compensation Consultant | Mooresville, NC | 06/28/2025 | $98,200 |
| Legacy Health System | Compensation Consultant (Remote or/Wa Only) | Portland, OR | 06/28/2025 | $97,192 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Compensation Consultant-Equity Delivery | Charlotte, NC | 06/27/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Compensation Consultant-Equity Delivery | Dallas, TX | 06/27/2025 | $111,100 |
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