Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 11-3111 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$173,472
$83.40/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $173,472 per year ($83.40/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $132,122 and $223,392 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $284,960 per year. There are approximately 17,200 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
5K
$156,480
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities
NAICS 524200
2K
$131,560
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
820
$119,640
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
780
$158,090
Insurance Carriers
NAICS 524100
730
$139,580
Wage range across top 5 industries: $119,640 to $158,090 (32% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$46.20
$96,096
P25
$63.52
$132,122
P50MEDIAN
$83.40
$173,472
P75
$107.40
$223,392
P90
$137.00
$284,960
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · finance sector
Hot
Openings Rate
6.0%
Quits Rate
1.2%
Finance and Insurance openings surged to 428K (+98K) in March, pushing the openings rate to 6.0% -- the highest in any major sector. Quits ticked up to 1.2%. Demand for finance talent has reaccelerated sharply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average compensation and benefits managers salary?
The national median salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $173,472 per year ($83.40/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $132,122 and $223,392 annually.
How much do top-earning compensation and benefits managers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Compensation and Benefits Managers is $284,960 per year ($137.00/hr). The 75th percentile is $223,392 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for compensation and benefits managers?
Entry-level Compensation and Benefits Managers (10th percentile) earn approximately $96,096 per year ($46.20/hr). The 25th percentile is $132,122 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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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