Compensation and benefits managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
Compensation and benefits managers plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization. The role reports a median annual salary of $140,360 in the US and is projected to grow 20% over the next decade (much faster than average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.61 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £57,529 a year for Human resource managers and directors (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £43,676 to £78,677 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1136). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Compensation and benefits managers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Personnel and Human Resources
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Economics and Accounting
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Law and Government
A day in the life
You start the morning reviewing a report comparing your organisation's pay and benefits with those of similar employers, looking for roles where you might be falling behind. Next you meet the finance team to discuss the cost of a proposed change to the health insurance plan. Mid-morning you speak with an insurance broker about new options that could improve staff wellbeing without overspending. You then sign off a clear guide for employees explaining their benefits choices before the enrolment window opens. After lunch an employee's claim has been refused by the provider, so you step in to sort it out. In the afternoon you work through the paperwork needed to meet government reporting rules, checking every figure carefully. Compliance filing is dull and detailed. But knowing that a policy you designed helps staff and their families through illness or retirement makes the work feel meaningful.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Compensation and benefits managers do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
What does a typical day look like in Compensation and benefits managers?
You start the morning reviewing a report comparing your organisation's pay and benefits with those of similar employers, looking for roles where you might be falling behind. Next you meet the finance team to discuss the cost of a proposed change to the health insurance plan. Mid-morning you speak with an insurance broker about new options that could improve staff wellbeing without overspending.
How much does Compensation and benefits managers earn?
The median annual salary for Compensation and benefits managers in the US is $140,360.
What is the job outlook for Compensation and benefits managers?
The role is projected to grow 20% over the next decade (much faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 20,900 workers.
How do I become compensation and benefits managers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Compensation and benefits managers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Compensation and benefits managers?
Our AI-durability model gives Compensation and benefits managers a score of 0.61 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Compensation and benefits managers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.