Occupations · Management
Compensation and Benefits Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 11-3111.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 57% between 2010 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $183,770 | 1,960 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $148,870 | 920 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $143,350 | 710 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $152,790 | 650 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $176,740 | 610 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $181,910 | 580 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $171,300 | 490 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $137,880 | 480 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $140,710 | 470 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $129,400 | 440 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $214,220 | 400 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $220,680 | 350 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
- Prepare detailed job descriptions and classification systems and define job levels and families, in partnership with other managers.
- Develop methods to improve employment policies, processes, and practices, and recommend changes to management.
- Formulate policies, procedures and programs for recruitment, testing, placement, classification, orientation, benefits and compensation, and labor and industrial relations.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2023-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2023-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 5 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 22
No longer listed 19
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| human resources manager | 1212.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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