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The differences between senior compensation analysts and senior benefits 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 senior compensation analyst and a senior benefits specialist. Additionally, a senior compensation analyst has an average salary of $85,796, which is higher than the $50,211 average annual salary of a senior benefits specialist.
The top three skills for a senior compensation analyst include compensation programs, human resources and HRIS. The most important skills for a senior benefits specialist are customer service, HR, and HRIS.
| Senior Compensation Analyst | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $85,796 | $50,211 |
| Hourly rate | $41.25 | $24.14 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 17,361 | 34,999 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior compensation analyst is primarily in charge of developing and maintaining compensation programs for a company's employees. Their responsibilities revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to identify employee needs, understanding the extent of every workforce position, conducting surveys, improving existing programs, and learning the compensation programs of competitors. Furthermore, as a senior compensation analyst, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals and serve as a mentor to junior analysts, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Senior compensation analysts and senior benefits specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Compensation Analyst | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Average salary | $85,796 | $50,211 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $116,000 | Between $34,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Wedbush Securities | - |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | - |
There are a few differences between a senior compensation analyst and a senior benefits specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Compensation Analyst | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior compensation analysts' and senior benefits specialists' demographics:
| Senior Compensation Analyst | Senior Benefits Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |