Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for compensation and benefits managers in the U.S. is $149,230 ($71.75 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $149,230
- Mean annual wage
- $162,640
- Median hourly wage
- $71.75
- Employment
- 22,940
22,940 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $89,160 | $42.86 |
| 25th percentile | $113,170 | $54.41 |
| Median (50th) | $149,230 | $71.75 |
| 75th percentile | $200,610 | $96.45 |
| 90th percentile | $256,570 | $123.35 |
Highest-paying states for compensation and benefits managers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $199,190 | 460 |
| Connecticut | $197,970 | 480 |
| Massachusetts | $184,070 | 670 |
| New York | $175,620 | 2,260 |
| New Jersey | $168,370 | 950 |
| California | $166,730 | 2,970 |
| Delaware | $166,070 | 50 |
| Colorado | $165,770 | 280 |
| Minnesota | $163,390 | 360 |
| Georgia | $163,060 | 1,010 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $89,250 median annual wage
- Idaho: $90,020 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $99,630 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $99,840 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $100,810 median annual wage
About this occupation
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
Typical tasks
- Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements.
- Identify and implement benefits to increase the quality of life for employees by working with brokers and researching benefits issues.
- Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data, such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates.
- Prepare personnel forecasts to project employment needs.
- Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
- Prepare budgets for personnel operations.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 7.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 11.0% |
| Associate's degree | 6.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 51.1% |
| Master's degree | 22.0% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 2.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- General and Operations Managers$105,770
- Financial Managers$166,570
- Computer and Information Systems Managers$175,140
- Sales Managers$148,270
- Managers, All Other$141,900
- Medical and Health Services Managers$123,860
- Marketing Managers$166,790
- Construction Managers$114,990
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.