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Senior compensation analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior compensation analyst. Senior compensation analysts usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 71% of senior compensation analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,221 real senior compensation analyst resumes to see exactly what senior compensation analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior compensation analysts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online senior compensation analyst courses to help get the education required to be a senior compensation analyst.

There are certain senior compensation analyst certifications that you should consider. These senior compensation analyst certifications include Certified Cost Professional (CCP) and Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).

What education do you need to become a senior compensation analyst?

What degree do you need to be a senior compensation analyst?

The most common degree for senior compensation analysts is bachelor's degree, with 71% of senior compensation analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Diploma, 0%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a senior compensation analyst?

You should major in business to become a senior compensation analyst. 34% of senior compensation analysts major in business. Other common majors for a senior compensation analyst include human resources management and psychology.

Most common colleges for senior compensation analysts

Senior compensation analysts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for senior compensation analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Senior compensation analyst common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix12.03%
Pennsylvania State University7.59%
Ohio State University6.96%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey5.70%
University of North Texas5.06%

Best majors for senior compensation analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Business34.3%
2Human Resources Management14.4%
3Psychology11.3%
4Finance5.9%
5Accounting5.1%

Best colleges for senior compensation analysts

The best colleges for senior compensation analysts are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A senior compensation analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior compensation analysts. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior compensation analysts.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for senior compensation analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Managing Employee Compensation

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Whether you're writing paychecks or wondering where yours comes from, this course is for you! We begin by asking: "To succeed, what kind of a person does your organization need to attract, retain, and motivate?" From there, we'll explain how to align your organization's objectives, its pay philosophy, and ultimately the way it designs and implements its salary structure, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, and benefits. Interested in learning more about the technical aspects of...

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Sales jobs span nearly every industry, from agribusiness and pharmaceuticals, to telecommunications and property management. And essential to sales is the management of the sales force. This course provides the knowledge and know how required for careers in sales management. Students are exposed to all facets of sales management, including organizing, selecting, training, motivating, supervising and compensating the sales force, territory management and administration and sales and expense...

3. Compensation and Benefits for Beginners

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4.3
(486)

This course is a beginners guide to understanding compensation and benefits...

4. Performance Management and Compensation Management in HRM

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4.4
(276)

Performance Management and Compensation Management Complete Course...

5. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24

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4.2
(351)

Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...

6. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

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4.3
(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

7. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course

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4.3
(1,866)

Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...

8. Diploma Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)

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4.3
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Become top-notch HRM Practitioner - Get Live Projects, Ready-to-use Templates, Demos, Quizzes, Articles, Case studies...

9. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

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4.3
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Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

10. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)

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4.2
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An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...

11. Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate a New Job Offer (Pro)

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Earn thousands by finding what you're worth, knowing exactly what to say, and negotiating your pay with confidence...

12. Plan the Project as a Business Analyst - IIBA Endorsed

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4.6
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Increase your value as a Business Analyst by learning how to plan projects successfully without a Project Manager...

13. Human Resources (HR) as a Business Partner

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4.1
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This course provides valuable information on how Human Resource Business Partnering (HRBP) operates in practice...

14. Strong & Effective Marketing Plan (Plan Template & Example)

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4.2
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Innovative approach for a winning offline and digital marketing plan (important part of your business plan)...

15. Hands-On HR Analytics Online Course for Human Resources

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4.4
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People Analytics & Analytical Process to Human Capital XL & Open Source Data Mining & ML Tools 6 Data Assignments...

16. Cloud Computing Sales

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The Hottest Tech Market: Close more and better deals by understanding clients' business objectives + technology roadmap...

17. Salary Negotiation - How to Ask for and Receive a Pay Raise

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4.3
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A Salary Negotiation step-by-step plan to prepare you for asking and receiving a pay raise...

18. Strategic Planning Basics for Human Resources

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4.4
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Learn to collaborate with your organizational leaders on the development and implementation of a strategic plan...

19. How to Write a Winning Marketing Plan

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A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs With a Free Marketing Plan Template & Examples...

20. Tableau Certified Data Analyst: Top Exam Prep Course

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3 Practice Tests Tableau Data Analyst Tableau Certification Tableau BI Data Analysis Data Visualization...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior compensation analysts

The most affordable schools for senior compensation analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for senior compensation analysts are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior compensation analysts.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior compensation analysts

The hardest universities for senior compensation analysts to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for senior compensation analysts are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior compensation analysts based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior compensation analysts

The easiest schools for senior compensation analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior compensation analyst without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior compensation analysts.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average senior compensation analyst salary by education level

According to our data, senior compensation analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $92,111 annually. Senior compensation analysts with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,346.
Senior compensation analyst education levelSenior compensation analyst salary
Master's Degree$92,111
High School Diploma or Less$83,835
Bachelor's Degree$91,346
Some College/ Associate Degree$85,213

Senior compensation analyst education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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