CaliforniaColleges

E-mailedby:KarinaDesai

CareerProfile

CompensationandBenefitsManager
WhatTheyDo
JusttheFacts

Plans,directs,orcoordinatescompensationandbenefitsactivitiesandstaffofanorganization.
ThiscareerispartoftheBusiness,ManagementandAdministrationclusterHumanResources
Managementpathway.

Apersoninthiscareer:
Designs,evaluatesandmodifiesbenefitspoliciestoensurethatprogramsarecurrent,competitive
andincompliancewithlegalrequirements.
Analyzescompensationpolicies,governmentregulations,andprevailingwageratestodevelop
competitivecompensationplan.
Fulfillsallreportingrequirementsofallrelevantgovernmentrulesandregulations,includingthe
EmployeeRetirementIncomeSecurityAct(ERISA).
Directspreparationanddistributionofwrittenandverbalinformationtoinformemployeesofbenefits,
compensation,andpersonnelpolicies.
Administers,directs,andreviewsemployeebenefitprograms,includingtheintegrationofbenefit
programsfollowingmergersandacquisitions.
Plans,directs,supervises,andcoordinatesworkactivitiesofsubordinatesandstaffrelatingto
employment,compensation,laborrelations,andemployeerelations.
Identifiesandimplementsbenefitstoincreasethequalityoflifeforemployees,byworkingwith
brokersandresearchingbenefitsissues.
Managesthedesignanddevelopmentoftoolstoassistemployeesinbenefitsselection,andto
guidemanagersthroughcompensationdecisions.
Preparesdetailedjobdescriptionsandclassificationsystemsanddefinesjoblevelsandfamilies,in
partnershipwithothermanagers.
Preparesbudgetsforpersonneloperations.

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Manager

WorkingConditionsandPhysicalDemands
Peoplewhodothisjobreportthat:
Youwouldsitmostofthetime.There'ssomewalkingandstanding.Youmayhavetoliftandcarrythingslikebooks,papersor
toolsweighing10lbs.orless.
Workinthisoccupationrequiresbeinginsidemostofthetime
Workinthisoccupationinvolvessittingmorethanone-thirdofthetime
Workinginthiscareerinvolves(physicalactivities):
Seeingclearlyupclose
Speakingclearlyenoughtobeabletobeunderstoodbyothers
Identifyingandunderstandingthespeechofanotherperson

WorkHoursandTravel
Regularworkinghoursandlimitedtravel

SpecialtyandSimilarCareers
Careersthataremoredetailedorclosetothiscareer:

BenefitsAdministrator--Administersthecompany'sbenefitsprogram,whichmayincludeofferingworkershealth,dentalor
visioninsurance,retirementplansandflexiblespendingaccounts.
HumanResourcesManager--Plans,organizes,directs,controlsandevaluatestheoperationsofhumanresourcesand
personneldepartments,anddevelopsandimplementspolicies,programsandproceduresregardinghumanresourceplanning,
recruitment,collectivebargaining,trainingan

IsThisForYou?
Interests:

YourInterests:

Thefollowingcategoriesdescribetheworkinterests(compatiblewithHolland'sModel)
ofpeoplewhotendtosucceedinthiscareer:
EnterprisingYouarea"persuader".Youliketosellthingsorideas.Prestigeand
powerareimportanttoyou.Youliketouseyourlanguageskillstoconvinceother
peopleofyourideas.
ConventionalYouarean"organizer".Keepingthingsneatandorganizedis
importanttoyou.Youlikeworkingwithchartsandreports,andworkwellwithpower
andauthority.
SocialYouarea"helper".Youlikebeingaroundpeopleandhelpingthemwith
problems.Socializingisfunforyou.

WorkValues:

Thelasttimeyoutook
theInterestProfileryour
resultswere:
SOCIAL

CONVENTIONAL

TaketheInterestProfileragain.

Workvaluesareaspectsofworkthataresatisfyingtoyou.Thefollowing
workvaluesaregenerallyassociatedwiththiscareer.
AchievementIt'sveryimportanttoyouthatyourworkallowsyoutouse
yourbestabilities.Youwanttoseetheresultsofyourworkandgeta
feelingofaccomplishment.
IndependenceIt'sveryimportanttoyouthatyourworkallowsyouto
makedecisionsonyourown.Youwanttotryoutyourownideasandwork
withlittlesupervision.

YourWorkValues:
Nowthatyouknowtheworkvaluesforthis
career,wouldyouliketofindyourpersonal
workvalues?
TrytheWorkValuesSorter.

TellmemoreaboutWorkValues...

Aptitudes:
Aptitudesreflectaperson'sabilitytoacquireskillsandknowledge.
Thefollowingaptitudesareimportantforsuccessinthiscareer:
Generallearningability
Verbalaptitude
Numericalaptitude
Clericalperception
GenerallearningabilityTopone-third
VerbalaptitudeTopone-third
NumericalaptitudeTopone-third
SpatialperceptionBottom10%
FormperceptionBottom10%
ClericalperceptionTop10%
Eye-handcoordinationBottom10%
FingerdexterityBottom10%
ManualdexterityBottomthird

TellmemoreaboutAptitudes...

SkillsYouNeed
BasicSkills
Thefollowingskillsareimportantfor
thiscareer:

YourBasicSkills:
Nowthatyouknowthebasicskillsforthiscareer,wouldyouliketofindyour

personalbasicskills?
Readingcomprehensionmedium(Level
5)
TrytheBasicSkillsSurvey.
Activelisteningmedium(Level5)

Writingmedium(Level4)
Speakingmedium(Level5)
Mathematicsmedium(Level3)
Criticalthinkingmedium(Level5)
Activelearningmedium(Level4)
Monitoringmedium(Level3)
Theseskillsarenecessarybutnotas
important:
Scienceverylow(Level0)
Learningstrategieslow(Level2)
TellmemoreaboutBasicSkills...

TransferableSkills
Here'salistofskillsusedinthiscareerthat
arealsousedinothercareers.
Highlevelofskillrequired
Formulatingprogrampolicyandgoals
Givingadviceonfinancialmatters
Managinganddirectingpeopleandprograms
Planningandgivinginformationandhelp
Preparingandorganizingnumericalrecords

YourTransferableSkills:
Nowthatyouknowthetransferableskillsforthiscareer,wouldyouliketo
findyourpersonaltransferableskills?
TrytheTransferableSkillsChecklist.

TellmemoreaboutTransferableSkills...

WorkplaceSkills
Workplaceskillsarepracticedactivitiesthathelppeoplebecomesuccessfulinallkindsofcareers.Here'salistofthe
workplaceskillsthatareusedinthiscareer.
Mediumlevelofskillrequired
Complexproblemsolving
Coordination
Instructing
Judgmentanddecisionmaking
Managementoffinancialresources
Managementofmaterialresources
Managementofpersonnelresources
Negotiation
Persuasion
Socialperceptiveness
Timemanagement
TellmemoreaboutWorkplaceSkills...

ImproveYourSkills:
Skillsarewonderfulbecauseyoucanalwaysimprovethem!Allittakesisalittlehardworkandmotivation.
Soifyouseethatacareerrequiresmoreskillthanyoucurrentlyhave,don'tworryit'salwayspossibletolearnmore
skills.

WhatToLearn
HighSchool
Whathighschoolcoursesshouldyoutakeifyou'reinterestedinthiscareer?
GetyouranswersfromtheBusiness,ManagementandAdministrationclusterHumanResourcesManagementpathway.

BeyondHighSchool
Here'salistofprogramsthatyoushouldconsiderifyou'reinterestedinthiscareer:
HumanResourcesManagement/PersonnelAdministration,General

EducationLevel
Educationtrainingandexperiencearerequiredatdifferentlevelsforsuccessindifferentoccupations.
Bachelor'sdegreeorhigher,plusworkexperience
Compensationandbenefitsmanagersneedatleastabachelor'sdegreeformostpositions,andsomejobsrequirea
master'sdegree.Becausenotallundergraduateprogramsofferadegreeinhumanresources,managersoftenhavea
bachelor'sdegreeinbusinessadministration,businessmanagement,finance,orarelatedfield.Manyemployerspreferto
hiremanagerswhohaveamaster'sdegree,particularlyonewithaconcentrationinhumanresourcesmanagement,
finance,orbusinessadministration(MBA).Relatedworkexperienceisessentialforcompensationandbenefitsmanagers.
Compensationmanagersusuallyneedexperienceincompensationoranotherjobwheretheyperformedcomplexfinancial
analysis.Forexample,compensationandbenefitsmanagersoftenstartoutascompensation,benefits,andjobanalysis
specialists.

ExtraRequirements
Manyprofessionalassociationsforhumanresourcesworkersofferclassestoenhancetheskillsandcredibilityoftheir
members.Someassociations,includingtheInternationalFoundationofEmployeeBenefitPlansandWorldatWork,offer
certificationprogramsthatspecializeincompensationandbenefits.Others,includingtheHRCertificationInstitute,offer
generalhumanresourcescredentials.Althoughnotrequired,certificationcanshowexpertiseandcredibility.Infact,many
employersprefertohirecertifiedcandidates,andsomepositionsmayrequirecertification.Certificationprogramsfor
managementpositionsoftenrequireseveralyearsofrelatedworkexperiencetoqualifyforthecredential.
Foradditionalinformation,visitthesewebsites:
http://www.hrci.org
http://www.ifebp.org/CEBSDesignation/Overview
http://www.worldatwork.org/home/html/society_home.jsp

MoneyAndOutlook

CaliforniaEarnings
AverageAnnualWage $132,230
EntryAnnualWage

$64,120

AverageHourlyWage $63.57
EntryHourlyWage

$30.83

MedianHourlyWage $58.14

CaliforniaRegionalEarnings
CaliforniaMetropolitanAreasWages
Region

Average

EntryLevel

LosAngeles-LongBeach-GlendaleMD

$120,690or$58.02/hr $59,870or$28.78/hr N/A

Riverside-SanBernardino-OntarioMSA

$119,530or$57.47/hr $64,350or$30.94/hr N/A

Oakland-Fremont-HaywardMD

$128,330or$61.70/hr $53,100or$25.53/hr N/A

Experienced

Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-RosevilleMSA $125,480or$60.33/hr $71,970or$34.60/hr $185,020or$88.95/hr

SanDiego-Carlsbad-SanMarcosMSA

$128,910or$61.98/hr $72,450or$34.83/hr N/A

SanJose-Sunnyvale-SantaClaraMSA

$168,730or$81.12/hr $87,750or$42.19/hr N/A

SantaAna-Anaheim-IrvineMD

$137,440or$66.08/hr $79,670or$38.30/hr N/A

SanFrancisco-SanMateo-RedwoodCityMD $144,560or$69.50/hr $63,660or$30.60/hr N/A

NationalEarnings

AverageAnnualWage

$118,670

AverageHourlyWage

$57.05

Note:variationsinsalariesreflectdifferencesinsizeoffirm,location,levelofeducationandprofessionalcredentials.
Wheredothesenumberscomefrom?

California'sEmploymentandOutlook(State-wide)
Stable
Annualgrowthrateisestimatedtobe11%
JobOpenings 60estimatedannualjobopenings
Outlook

Employment 1,800wereemployedinthisoccupation

California'sRegionalEmploymentandOutlook
Regionswithstableoutlook(0to20%growthrateexpected)
Employment

ProjectedGrowth
Rate

180

11%

LosAngeles-LongBeach-Glendale 520
MD

4%

14

16

200

5%

SanJose-Sunnyvale-SantaClara 150
MSA

0%

Region

Oakland-Fremont-HaywardMD

SantaAna-Anaheim-IrvineMD

AnnualOpenings
(growth)

AnnualOpenings
(replacement)

Annual
Openings

SanDiego-Carlsbad-SanMarcos
MSA

140

14%

SanFrancisco-SanMateoRedwoodCityMD

200

20%

NationalEmploymentandOutlook
Outlook

Job
Openings

stable
Theemploymentchangefrom2012to2022isestimatedtobe+3.1%.
(TheNationalaverageforalloccupationsis+10.8%)
verysmallnumber

Lessthan1000averageannualopeningsareexpectedforthisoccupationbetween2012and2022.
(TheNationalAverageforalloccupationsis4,638openings)
Employment smalloccupation

Growth

ThiswasasmalloccupationintheUnitedStates,employing20,700workersin2012.
(TheNationalaverageforalloccupationsis133,353workers)
Slowerthanaveragegrowth
Duetohealthcarereformandrisinghealthcarecosts,organizationswillneedtheexpertiseofbenefitsmanagerswhen
choosing,updating,andadministeringtheirbenefitspolicies.Similarly,compensationmanagerswillbeneededto
analyzecompensationpoliciesanddesigncompetitivecompensationpackages.Asorganizationsfocusonreducing
compensationandbenefitscosts,manyhaveestablishedincreasinglycomplexplans,suchaspay-for-performance
strategiesandhealthandwellnessprograms.Organizationswillneedmanagerstoevaluateanddirectthese
compensationandbenefitspoliciesandplans.However,manyorganizationsincreasinglycontractoutaportionoftheir
compensationandbenefitsfunctionstohumanresourcesconsultingfirmsinordertoreducecostsandgainaccessto
technicalexpertise.Forexample,toreduceadministrativecosts,organizationscommonlyuseanoutsidevendorfor
processingpayrollandinsuranceclaims.Theseconsultingfirmsareabletoautomatetasksandoperateoverseascall
centers,therebyreducingtheneedforcompensationandbenefitsmanagers.
Largeconcentrationsofthisoccupationarefoundintheseindustries

Industries

Managementofcompaniesandenterprises(NAICS551000)(19.3%)
Financeandinsurance(NAICS520000)(15.3%)
Manufacturing(NAICS31-330)(12.2%)
Insurancecarriersandrelatedactivities(NAICS524000)(7.1%)

Connections
Associations
InternationalPublicManagementAssociationforHumanResources
1617DukeSt.
Alexandria,VA22314
http://www.ipma-hr.org
NationalHumanResourcesAssociation
P.O.Box36
HouseSprings,MO63051
http://www.humanresources.org

InternetSites
InternationalFoundationofEmployeeBenefitPlans
http://www.ifebp.org
InternationalPublicManagementAssociationforHumanResources
http://www.ipma-hr.org
NationalHumanResourcesAssociation
http://www.humanresources.org
SocietyforHumanResourceManagement
http://www.shrm.org
Myfuture.com
http://www.myfuture.com

RelatedCareerInformationSources
O*NET-SOCoccupation
CompensationandBenefitsManagers11-3111.00
http://www.onetcenter.org/online.html
SOCoccupation
CompensationandBenefitsManagers11-3111
http://www.bls.gov/soc/
OccupationalOutlookHandbook
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/

MilitaryCareerOpportunities
Noneavailable

JobBankLinks
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