SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 11-3111.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $89,160 | $7,430 | $1,715 | $42.86 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $113,170 | $9,431 | $2,176 | $54.41 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $149,230 | $12,436 | $2,870 | $71.75 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $200,610 | $16,718 | $3,858 | $96.45 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $256,570 | $21,381 | $4,934 | $123.35 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $149,230, which is 193% higher. Among the 37 occupations of the field Management, it ranks number 8 by median pay. With 22,940 jobs, it makes up about 1.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Compensation and Benefits Managers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($199,190), Connecticut ($197,970) and Massachusetts ($184,070). The lowest was in Mississippi ($89,250), Idaho ($90,020) and Puerto Rico ($97,500). The most jobs were in California (2,970), New York (2,260) and Texas (2,230). The occupation is most concentrated in Connecticut, where its share of all jobs is 1.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 460 | $199,190 | $206,130 | $95.77 |
| Connecticut | 480 | $197,970 | $209,600 | $95.18 |
| Massachusetts | 670 | $184,070 | $196,100 | $88.50 |
| New York | 2,260 | $175,620 | $194,040 | $84.43 |
| New Jersey | 950 | $168,370 | $178,260 | $80.95 |
| California | 2,970 | $166,730 | $180,130 | $80.16 |
| Delaware | 50 | $166,070 | $180,550 | $79.84 |
| Colorado | 280 | $165,770 | $163,370 | $79.70 |
| Minnesota | 360 | $163,390 | $168,320 | $78.55 |
| Georgia | 1,010 | $163,060 | $175,500 | $78.40 |
| Oregon | 240 | $161,470 | $159,880 | $77.63 |
| District of Columbia | 130 | $160,990 | $170,480 | $77.40 |
| Virginia | not published | $153,660 | $177,030 | $73.87 |
| Illinois | 780 | $151,730 | $156,340 | $72.95 |
| Michigan | 580 | $151,620 | $164,050 | $72.89 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $149,340 | $170,170 | $71.80 |
| Ohio | 460 | $141,920 | $151,990 | $68.23 |
| Maryland | 430 | $139,860 | $159,390 | $67.24 |
| Pennsylvania | 770 | $139,040 | $152,910 | $66.85 |
| New Hampshire | 100 | $136,950 | $136,930 | $65.84 |
| Texas | 2,230 | $136,930 | $148,610 | $65.83 |
| North Carolina | 880 | $135,240 | $146,220 | $65.02 |
| Tennessee | 670 | $132,780 | $148,100 | $63.84 |
| Utah | 200 | $132,620 | $138,720 | $63.76 |
| Arizona | 510 | $129,890 | $142,270 | $62.45 |
| Maine | 50 | $129,690 | $150,080 | $62.35 |
| Florida | 1,670 | $127,960 | $136,770 | $61.52 |
| Wisconsin | not published | $127,920 | $145,670 | $61.50 |
| New Mexico | 40 | $124,390 | $137,360 | $59.80 |
| Alaska | 30 | $122,490 | $122,910 | $58.89 |
| Nebraska | 140 | $121,630 | $129,020 | $58.48 |
| Alabama | 90 | $118,470 | $128,960 | $56.96 |
| Iowa | 120 | $118,250 | $135,150 | $56.85 |
| Indiana | 170 | $118,180 | $129,160 | $56.82 |
| Nevada | 180 | $115,180 | $125,250 | $55.38 |
| Kentucky | 110 | $114,290 | $137,860 | $54.95 |
| Kansas | 70 | $114,070 | $124,320 | $54.84 |
| Hawaii | 60 | $110,120 | $118,940 | $52.94 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $107,760 | $123,000 | $51.81 |
| Missouri | 250 | $106,490 | $137,200 | $51.20 |
| Arkansas | 140 | $100,810 | $140,120 | $48.47 |
| Louisiana | 220 | $99,840 | $130,920 | $48.00 |
| South Carolina | 330 | $99,630 | $119,340 | $47.90 |
| Puerto Rico | 30 | $97,500 | $107,190 | $46.87 |
| Idaho | 100 | $90,020 | $113,490 | $43.28 |
| Mississippi | 70 | $89,250 | $101,170 | $42.91 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Marketing Managers$166,790 a year
- Financial Managers$166,570 a year
- Human Resources Managers$149,280 a year
- Sales Managers$148,270 a year
- Purchasing Managers$148,080 a year
- Public Relations Managers$146,910 a year
Common questions
How much do Compensation and Benefits Managers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $149,230 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $89,160 and the highest-paid 10% more than $256,570.
How many people work as Compensation and Benefits Managers?
About 22,940 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.