Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
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OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin
Overview
Conduct programs of compensation and benefits and job analysis for employer. May specialize in specific areas, such as position classification and pension programs.
Highlights
Undergraduate program resulting in the highest median salary ($84K): Mathematics
Largest undergraduate program (14.6% of workers): Business Management and Administration
Explore Pathways
Titles for this career often contain these words
SpecialistBenefitsCompensationAnalystWageCoordinatorAdministratorConsultantPlanBenefitRepresentativeHealthJobRetirementPositionSalaryExpertContractsEmployeeEmploymentAdvisorHealthcareSpecificationWriterOccupationalPayrollPensionPensionsPersonnelClassificationClassifierRatingOfficerReimbursementUnionContractAdjusterConciliator
SOURCES:
2018 SOC codes
2020 CareerOneStop
25.2 O*NET
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Responsibilities and activities

Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists typically do the following:

  • Research compensation and benefits policies and plans
  • Use data and cost analyses to compare compensation and benefits plans
  • Evaluate position descriptions to determine classification and salary
  • Ensure that an organization complies with federal and state laws
  • Design and prepare reports summarizing research and analysis
  • Present recommendations to other human resources managers

Some specialists perform tasks within all areas of compensation, benefits, and job analysis. Others specialize in a specific area.

Compensation specialists assess an organization’s pay structure for employees. They research compensation trends and review surveys to determine how their organization’s pay compares with that of other organizations in a particular industry and region. They often perform complex data and cost analyses to evaluate compensation policies. They also ensure that the organization’s pay practices comply with federal and state laws and regulations, such as equal pay laws, minimum wage, overtime, and workers’ compensation.

Benefits specialists administer an organization’s compensation programs that are supplemental to wages, including retirement plans, leave policies, wellness programs, and insurance plans. They research, analyze, and then recommend benefits plans, policies, and programs. They frequently monitor government regulations, legislation, and benefits trends to ensure that their programs are current, legal, and competitive. They also work closely with insurance brokers and benefits carriers and manage the enrollment, delivery of benefits, and renewal to the organization’s employees.

Job analysis specialists, also known as position classifiers, evaluate an organization’s positions by writing or assigning job descriptions, determining position classifications, and preparing salary scales. When the organization introduces a new job or reviews existing jobs, specialists must conduct research and make recommendations to managers on the classification, description, status, and salary of those jobs.

SOURCES:
2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook
Salary
Median salary: $67,190 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $52,010 and $86,590.
$67K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K
SOURCES:
2019 BLS Occupational Employment
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
SOURCES:
2019 BLS Occupational Employment
Fewer details
Salary growth for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$55K$54K$60K$53K$42K$63K$48K$56K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
02K4K6K8K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
About Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
SOURCES:
2018-2020 CPS
2019 ACS microdata
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
  • Time Pressure (46%)
SOURCES:
25.2 O*NET
Fewer details
Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Analytical skills
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists perform data and cost analyses to evaluate their organization’s policies. They also must be able to interpret the details of contracts and laws.
Business skills
Specialists must understand basic finance and accounting. They help set the wages and benefits packages for new employees.
Communication skills
Specialists need to provide information about compensation and benefits in a way that is understandable to employees at all levels throughout their organization.
Critical-thinking skills
Specialists must be able to evaluate job positions, salary scales, promotion practices, and other compensation and benefits policies.
SOURCES:
2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook
Injury and Illness
About 11 compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, which reflects fewer events than in 52% of other careers. The most common specific concerns detailed following.
Bruises and contusions
SOURCES:
2019 BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists typically hold a bachelor's degree.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists

Employers typically require that compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists have a bachelor’s degree. Common degree fields may include business, communications, and risk management. Some employers accept additional related work experience in lieu of a degree.

Regardless of major, students interested in this occupation may find it useful to take courses in subjects such as human resources management, finance, and accounting.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists

Although professional certification is not required, it demonstrates expertise. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have certification, but other employers allow their employees to earn certification after they have begun working. Certification programs often require applicants to have several years of related work experience in order to qualify for the credential.

Many associations for human resources workers offer classes to enhance the skills of their members. Some associations, including the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and WorldatWork, offer certification programs that specialize in compensation and benefits. Others, including the HR Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management, offer general human resources credentials.

SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Education level of Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
About 55% of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists have at least a bachelor's degree.
Education attained by compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
SOURCES:
2021 Ididio: Award levels
2019 ACS microdata
Top college degrees
Here are the top college degrees held by the 54% of people in this job who have at least a bachelor's degree. Some of degrees may link to multiple programs due to the way Census classifies college majors. Click on a program to learn more about career opportunities for people who major in that field.
  1. Business Management and Administration
  2. Business/Commerce
  3. Psychology
  4. Finance
  5. Human Resources and Personnel Management
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Fewer details
College majors held by compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
This table shows the college majors held by people working as compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists. If you see "**" before the name of a degree/program, that means this field is one that the Department of Education believes is preparatory for this career. However, you can see from this list that those recommendations are far from your only path to this job!
Major
Select any title to learn more about that degree
Salary comparison for bachelor's only
Higher
Similar
Lower
Career salary (tail) versus Career/Major salary (dot)
Does the bachelor's-only salary rise or fall with this major?
$51K$70K
Salary for bachelor's-only
For people with this career and major
Median
Middle 50%
Middle 80%
Salary for all workers
For people with this career and major
Median
Middle 50%
Middle 80%
Education for Career and Major
Bachelor's
Master's
Professional
Doctorate
Workers with this career/major
Percentage in this career with this major
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
2010 CIP Codes
Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click a program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Program
Number of degrees awarded in 2018
Education
Education level of awarded degrees
Assoc./Cert.
Bachelor's
Graduate
Gender
Gender of graduates
Men
Women
Race/Origin
Race/origin of graduates
White
Minority
International
SOURCES:
2010 CIP Codes
Not so much?
The link between degrees and this career
With the following sankey diagram, you can follow the top ten bachelor's degrees held by people working as compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists, and then, in turn, you can see the 10 occupations that hire the most of each degree's graduates. We hope this provides ideas for similar jobs and similar fields of study.
Expand degrees
Business Management ...General BusinessPsychologyFinanceHuman Resources and ...AccountingCommunicationsMarketingPolitical Science an...EconomicsAll other degreesThis jobTop 10 majors
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists per 1,000 workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Fewer details
Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
SOURCES:
2019 BLS Occupational Employment
2019 BEA Regional Price Parities
Employment
5% of Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 5% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 77% of careers.
5%0%20%40%60%80%100%
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
SOURCES:
2021 Ididio: Comparing employment
2019 ACS microdata
Fewer details
Distribution: Salaries of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$52K$56K$46K$53K$66K$46K$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000$120,000Federal governmentState governmentLocal governmentPrivate not-for-profitPrivate for-profitAll
SOURCES:
2021 Ididio: Comparing employment
2019 ACS microdata
Gender
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists and gender
With 77% women, this occupation has a higher percentage of women than 87% of careers.
Gender of Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
Men (23%)
Women (77%)
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$51K$62K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Fewer details
Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
77%0%20%40%60%80%100%
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%, and the difference for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists tops that, with the median salary for men 23% higher than the median salary for women.
23%0%20%40%60%80%100%
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists.
Race/origin of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
White (71% )
Black (18% )
Asian (5% )
Multiracial (3% )
Other (2% )
American Indian (1% )
Hispanic (0% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$46K$52K$53K$53K$61K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120KBlackMultiracialOtherWhiteAsian
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
SOURCES:
2019 ACS microdata
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