Benefits Manager job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Compensation and Benefits Managers

O*NET-SOC 11-3111.00

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$149,230

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Compensation and Benefits Managers (O*NET-SOC 11-3111.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Benefits Manager” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). importance 4.6 of 5
4. Analyze compensation policies, government regulations, and prevailing wage rates to develop competitive compensation plan. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Identify and implement benefits to increase the quality of life for employees by working with brokers and researching benefits issues. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Manage the design and development of tools to assist employees in benefits selection, and to guide managers through compensation decisions. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Administer, direct, and review employee benefit programs, including the integration of benefit programs following mergers and acquisitions. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Mediate between benefits providers and employees, such as by assisting in handling employees' benefits-related questions or taking suggestions. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations. importance 4.1 of 5
10. Prepare detailed job descriptions and classification systems and define job levels and families, in partnership with other managers. importance 3.9 of 5
11. Develop methods to improve employment policies, processes, and practices, and recommend changes to management. importance 3.9 of 5
12. Formulate policies, procedures and programs for recruitment, testing, placement, classification, orientation, benefits and compensation, and labor and industrial relations. importance 3.9 of 5
13. Study legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess industry trends. importance 3.5 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Working with Computers and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Plan and conduct new-employee orientations to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
• Prepare budgets for personnel operations.
• Negotiate bargaining agreements.
• Prepare personnel forecasts to project employment needs.
• Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data, such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates.
• Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems, and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices.

Knowledge areas: Personnel and Human Resources, English Language, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service and Economics and Accounting.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Workday software, Oracle HRIS, Adobe Illustrator. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (76%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Benefits Manager
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Benefits Manager to plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in reading comprehension, active listening and writing
- Working knowledge of Personnel and Human Resources and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Compensation and Benefits Managers, the median annual wage was $149,230 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $71.75. BLS estimates about 22,940 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Compensation and Benefits Managers to grow 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,600 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real benefits manager posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only benefits manager work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and active listening): a real situation, what you did and what changed.