11 Series · SOC 11-3111
Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $149,230
- Median / year
- +6.3%
- 2024→2025
- $256,570
- Top 10% earn
- +0.2%
- Growth '24–'34
- 22,940
- Estimated US jobs
Compensation and Benefits Managers earn a median of $149,230 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $149,230, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $89,160 (10th percentile) to $256,570 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 22,940 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Washington ($199,190).
The pay verdict
Compensation and Benefits Managers earn a median of $149,230, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 95% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Management, it ranks #8 of 37 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 0.2% by 2034.
- $149,230
- Median annual wage
- Top 5%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #8 of 37
- in Management
- 2.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Washington at $199,190. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Compensation and Benefits Managers moved from $122,270 in May 2019 to $149,230 in May 2025 (+22.0%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Compensation and Benefits Managers sits -2.4 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Compensation and Benefits Managers (SOC 11-3111) has a national median of $149,230 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $89,160 to $256,570, and the published mean is $162,640. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 22,940 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 46 state or territory areas and 90 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $140,360 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $149,230 in May 2025, a rise of $8,870 (+6.3%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +0.2% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as slower than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 1,500 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry and 5 years or more as the typical related-work-experience category. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Management Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $199,190, which is +33% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR at $221,800. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$149,230
per year
Median Hourly
$71.75/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$162,640
average
Employment
22,940
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Compensation and Benefits Managers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$149,230 Top 5% higher than 95% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 (this entry) | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$149,230 · 95th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 11-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Compensation and Benefits Managers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- General and Operatio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $105770
- Financial Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 14.8%, Median annual wage $166570
- Computer and Informa…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15.2%, Median annual wage $175140
- Sales Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.7%, Median annual wage $148270
- Managers, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $141900
- Medical and Health S…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 23.2%, Median annual wage $123860
- Marketing Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.6%, Median annual wage $166790
- Construction Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $114990
- Education Administra…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $105870
- Property, Real Estat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.6%, Median annual wage $69990
- Administrative Servi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $114130
- Industrial Productio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.9%, Median annual wage $126060
- Food Service Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $69390
- Transportation, Stor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.1%, Median annual wage $107230
- Human Resources Mana…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $149280
- Architectural and En…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $171270
- Social and Community…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $80390
- Chief Executives: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $213990
- Education Administra…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $104590
- Facilities Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $106660
- Natural Sciences Man…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $167220
- Purchasing Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $148080
- Public Relations Man…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $146910
- Education and Childc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.5%, Median annual wage $59300
- Compensation and Benefits Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.2%, Median annual wage $149230
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+0.2%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
1,500
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience
5 years or more
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Management Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
2.8/100K
Injury Rate
0.8/100
Danger Index
4.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Compensation and Benefits Managers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Compensation and Benefits Managers pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $111,430 |
| 2016 | $116,240 |
| 2017 | $119,120 |
| 2018 | $121,010 |
| 2019 | $122,270 |
| 2020 | $125,130 |
| 2021 | $127,530 |
| 2022 | $131,280 |
| 2023 | $136,380 |
| 2024 | $140,360 |
| 2025 | $149,230 |
2015 median
$111,430
2025 median
$149,230
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$26,960 (+22%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.4%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $111,430 | First banked release | 15,930 |
| May 2016 | $116,240 | +4.3% | 15,230 |
| May 2017 | $119,120 | +2.5% | 15,520 |
| May 2018 | $121,010 | +1.6% | 15,660 |
| May 2019 | $122,270 | Classification break | 16,900 |
| May 2020 | $125,130 | +2.3% | 16,340 |
| May 2021 | $127,530 | +1.9% | 15,330 |
| May 2022 | $131,280 | +2.9% | 16,850 |
| May 2023 | $136,380 | +3.9% | 18,690 |
| May 2024 | $140,360 | +2.9% | 20,070 |
| May 2025 | $149,230 | +6.3% | 22,940 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $111,430 in May 2015 to $149,230 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.4% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 16,900 in May 2019 to 22,940 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 46 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $199,190 | +33% above national |
| 2 | Connecticut | $197,970 | +33% above national |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $184,070 | +23% above national |
| 4 | New York | $175,620 | +18% above national |
| 5 | New Jersey | $168,370 | +13% above national |
| 6 | California | $166,730 | +12% above national |
| 7 | Delaware | $166,070 | +11% above national |
| 8 | Colorado | $165,770 | +11% above national |
| 9 | Minnesota | $163,390 | +9% above national |
| 10 | Georgia | $163,060 | +9% above national |
| 11 | Oregon | $161,470 | +8% above national |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $160,990 | +8% above national |
| 13 | Virginia | $153,660 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Illinois | $151,730 | +2% above national |
| 15 | Michigan | $151,620 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $149,340 | same as national |
| 17 | Ohio | $141,920 | 5% below national |
| 18 | Maryland | $139,860 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $139,040 | 7% below national |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $136,950 | 8% below national |
| 21 | Texas | $136,930 | 8% below national |
| 22 | North Carolina | $135,240 | 9% below national |
| 23 | Tennessee | $132,780 | 11% below national |
| 24 | Utah | $132,620 | 11% below national |
| 25 | Arizona | $129,890 | 13% below national |
| 26 | Maine | $129,690 | 13% below national |
| 27 | Florida | $127,960 | 14% below national |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $127,920 | 14% below national |
| 29 | New Mexico | $124,390 | 17% below national |
| 30 | Alaska | $122,490 | 18% below national |
| 31 | Nebraska | $121,630 | 18% below national |
| 32 | Alabama | $118,470 | 21% below national |
| 33 | Iowa | $118,250 | 21% below national |
| 34 | Indiana | $118,180 | 21% below national |
| 35 | Nevada | $115,180 | 23% below national |
| 36 | Kentucky | $114,290 | 23% below national |
| 37 | Kansas | $114,070 | 24% below national |
| 38 | Hawaii | $110,120 | 26% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $107,760 | 28% below national |
| 40 | Missouri | $106,490 | 29% below national |
| 41 | Arkansas | $100,810 | 32% below national |
| 42 | Louisiana | $99,840 | 33% below national |
| 43 | South Carolina | $99,630 | 33% below national |
| 44 | Puerto Rico | $97,500 | 35% below national |
| 45 | Idaho | $90,020 | 40% below national |
| 46 | Mississippi | $89,250 | 40% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 90 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $221,800 | +49% above national |
| 2 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $218,860 | +47% above national |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $216,580 | +45% above national |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $215,180 | +44% above national |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $188,850 | +27% above national |
| 6 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $186,700 | +25% above national |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $185,590 | +24% above national |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $179,730 | +20% above national |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $171,950 | +15% above national |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $168,850 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $168,540 | +13% above national |
| 12 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $167,450 | +12% above national |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $166,100 | +11% above national |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $163,500 | +10% above national |
| 15 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $163,390 | +9% above national |
| 16 | Salem, OR | $163,270 | +9% above national |
| 17 | Ann Arbor, MI | $162,720 | +9% above national |
| 18 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $162,490 | +9% above national |
| 19 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $162,480 | +9% above national |
| 20 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $162,440 | +9% above national |
| 21 | Worcester, MA | $160,990 | +8% above national |
| 22 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $160,970 | +8% above national |
| 23 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $159,450 | +7% above national |
| 24 | Richmond, VA | $157,370 | +5% above national |
| 25 | Birmingham, AL | $156,710 | +5% above national |
| 26 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $155,380 | +4% above national |
| 27 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $155,340 | +4% above national |
| 28 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $151,860 | +2% above national |
| 29 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $151,120 | +1% above national |
| 30 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $150,850 | +1% above national |
| 31 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $150,810 | +1% above national |
| 32 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $148,870 | same as national |
| 33 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $148,650 | same as national |
| 34 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $148,520 | same as national |
| 35 | Columbus, OH | $147,100 | 1% below national |
| 36 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $145,930 | 2% below national |
| 37 | Pittsburgh, PA | $145,340 | 3% below national |
| 38 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $144,510 | 3% below national |
| 39 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $142,950 | 4% below national |
| 40 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $140,940 | 6% below national |
| 41 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $140,870 | 6% below national |
| 42 | Rochester, NY | $139,380 | 7% below national |
| 43 | Tucson, AZ | $138,560 | 7% below national |
| 44 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $136,220 | 9% below national |
| 45 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $133,150 | 11% below national |
| 46 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $132,970 | 11% below national |
| 47 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $132,700 | 11% below national |
| 48 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $132,540 | 11% below national |
| 49 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $132,210 | 11% below national |
| 50 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $131,930 | 12% below national |
| 51 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $131,510 | 12% below national |
| 52 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $131,450 | 12% below national |
| 53 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $131,140 | 12% below national |
| 54 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $130,220 | 13% below national |
| 55 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $130,010 | 13% below national |
| 56 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $129,800 | 13% below national |
| 57 | Winston-Salem, NC | $129,580 | 13% below national |
| 58 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $127,920 | 14% below national |
| 59 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $127,730 | 14% below national |
| 60 | Madison, WI | $127,670 | 14% below national |
| 61 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $126,910 | 15% below national |
| 62 | New Haven, CT | $126,550 | 15% below national |
| 63 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $126,080 | 16% below national |
| 64 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $125,750 | 16% below national |
| 65 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $125,340 | 16% below national |
| 66 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $124,430 | 17% below national |
| 67 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $123,540 | 17% below national |
| 68 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $123,460 | 17% below national |
| 69 | Jacksonville, FL | $123,150 | 17% below national |
| 70 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $122,630 | 18% below national |
| 71 | Omaha, NE-IA | $122,070 | 18% below national |
| 72 | El Paso, TX | $120,830 | 19% below national |
| 73 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $119,970 | 20% below national |
| 74 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $119,490 | 20% below national |
| 75 | Jackson, MS | $115,540 | 23% below national |
| 76 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $115,200 | 23% below national |
| 77 | Reno, NV | $115,180 | 23% below national |
| 78 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $114,410 | 23% below national |
| 79 | Tulsa, OK | $113,990 | 24% below national |
| 80 | Toledo, OH | $110,870 | 26% below national |
| 81 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $110,470 | 26% below national |
| 82 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $110,120 | 26% below national |
| 83 | Oklahoma City, OK | $107,780 | 28% below national |
| 84 | Tallahassee, FL | $105,490 | 29% below national |
| 85 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $105,310 | 29% below national |
| 86 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $104,770 | 30% below national |
| 87 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $98,390 | 34% below national |
| 88 | Baton Rouge, LA | $94,890 | 36% below national |
| 89 | Boise City, ID | $85,270 | 43% below national |
| 90 | Columbia, SC | $73,870 | 50% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 11 (Management Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Administrative Services Managers
SOC 11-3012
Advertising and Promotions Managers
SOC 11-2011
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC 11-9041
Chief Executives
SOC 11-1011
Computer and Information Systems Managers
SOC 11-3021
Showing 5 of 36 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Management Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($149,230 here) and reported employment (22,940 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Compensation and Benefits Managers make? ▼
Where does Compensation and Benefits Managers pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Compensation and Benefits Managers the most? ▼
What education do Compensation and Benefits Managers need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Compensation and Benefits Managers? ▼
Is Compensation and Benefits Managers a good career? ▼
How does Compensation and Benefits Managers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Compensation and Benefits Managers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Compensation and Benefits Managers pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $200,610/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $199,190/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.