Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 11-3111 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$149,240
$71.75/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $149,240 per year ($71.75/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $113,173 and $200,616 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $256,568 per year. There are approximately 22,940 compensation and benefits managers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.2%
Little or no change
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
21K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
6K
$161,580
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities
NAICS 524200
2K
$148,540
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
910
$127,640
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
890
$165,370
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
770
$170,900
Wage range across top 5 industries: $127,640 to $170,900 (34% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$42.86
$89,149
P25
$54.41
$113,173
P50MEDIAN
$71.75
$149,240
P75
$96.45
$200,616
P90
$123.35
$256,568
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average compensation and benefits managers salary?
The national median salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $149,240 per year ($71.75/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $113,173 and $200,616 annually.
How much do top-earning compensation and benefits managers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $256,568 per year ($123.35/hr). The 75th percentile is $200,616 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for compensation and benefits managers?
Entry-level Compensation and Benefits Managers (10th percentile) earn approximately $89,149 per year ($42.86/hr). The 25th percentile is $113,173 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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