Occupation salary profile

Compensation and Benefits Managers

SOC 11-3111 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization. Job analysis and position description managers are included in “Human Resources Managers” (11-3121).

National median · BLS
$149,230
▲ +6.32% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$177,831
▼ -0.6% YoY · 17 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$162,640
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
22,940
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Compensation and Benefits Managers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 17 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$89,160$107,570
25th$113,170$152,000
Median (50th)$149,230$177,831
75th$200,610$192,300
90th — top pay$256,570$220,470
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $177,831 for Compensation and Benefits Managers — 19.2% above the BLS national median of $149,230.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Compensation and Benefits Managers

BLS projects employment of compensation and benefits managers to grow 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
23,700 → 24,000
+300 jobs
Projected change
+1.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus 5 years or more experience
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $177,831
Change vs prior year -0.6%
After inflation (CPI-U) -3.62%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Compensation and Benefits Managers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.9
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.6
  • Time Management3.6
  • Social Perceptiveness3.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Personnel and Human Resources4.3
  • English Language4.1
  • Administration and Management4.0
  • Customer and Personal Service3.8
  • Economics and Accounting3.4
  • Mathematics3.3
  • Administrative3.0
  • Law and Government3.0
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointWorkday softwareOracle HRISAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WordOracle PeopleSoftSAP softwareStructured query language SQL

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What compensation and benefits managers do

  • Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies.
  • Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements.
  • Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
  • Analyze compensation policies, government regulations, and prevailing wage rates to develop competitive compensation plan.
  • Identify and implement benefits to increase the quality of life for employees by working with brokers and researching benefits issues.
  • Manage the design and development of tools to assist employees in benefits selection, and to guide managers through compensation decisions.
  • Administer, direct, and review employee benefit programs, including the integration of benefit programs following mergers and acquisitions.
  • Mediate between benefits providers and employees, such as by assisting in handling employees' benefits-related questions or taking suggestions.
Also called
Benefits ManagerCompensation and Benefits ManagerCompensation DirectorCompensation ManagerBenefits CoordinatorBenefits DirectorCompensation and Benefits DirectorEmployee Benefits CoordinatorEmployee Benefits ManagerPayroll Manager
More job titles for this occupation (17)
Benefits Admin (Benefits Administrator)Benefits AdvisorCompensation Program ManagerEmployee Benefits Account ManagerEmployee Benefits DirectorGlobal Benefits ManagerGlobal Compensation DirectorGlobal Compensation ManagerPayroll and Benefits ManagerPersonnel ManagerPosition Classification ManagerReimbursement ManagerReimbursements ManagerTotal Rewards DirectorTotal Rewards ManagerWage and Salary Administrator (Wage and Salary Admin)Workers' Compensation Manager

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.