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The differences between senior benefits specialists and benefits managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior benefits specialist and a benefits manager. Additionally, a benefits manager has an average salary of $64,064, which is higher than the $50,211 average annual salary of a senior benefits specialist.
The top three skills for a senior benefits specialist include customer service, HR and HRIS. The most important skills for a benefits manager are HR, customer service, and HRIS.
| Senior Benefits Specialist | Benefits Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $50,211 | $64,064 |
| Hourly rate | $24.14 | $30.80 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 34,999 | 11,164 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Typically working in a company's human resources department, a senior benefits specialist manages benefits and compensation programs for the employees. They are mostly in charge of designing and developing plans for retirement, stock ownership, healthcare, and pension. To carry out their duties, they must perform extensive research and analysis, coordinate efforts with staff and other experts, put costs and budgets into consideration, and liaise with external parties such as vendors and plan providers, building positive relationships for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a senior benefits specialist must also assist employees by answering their inquiries and explaining how the benefits programs work.
A benefits manager is primarily in charge of overseeing and handling a company's benefits programs and projects for employees. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with human resources to gather accurate data, improve existing benefits programs, and creating new ones in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. A benefits manager may also liaise with external agencies, develop activities for employee welfare, and resolve any issues regarding the benefits programs. Furthermore, they may perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, manage budgets, and maintain records of all transactions.
Senior benefits specialists and benefits managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Benefits Specialist | Benefits Manager | |
| Average salary | $50,211 | $64,064 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $72,000 | Between $39,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | - | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | - | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior benefits specialist and a benefits manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Benefits Specialist | Benefits Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior benefits specialists' and benefits managers' demographics:
| Senior Benefits Specialist | Benefits Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.3% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 35% |