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How Much Does a Compensation and Benefits Manager Make?

A compensation and benefits manager in the US earns a median salary of $149,230 a year, or $71.75 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $162,640, and the middle half earn between $113,170 and $200,610.

Median a year $149,230
Median an hour $71.75
Median a month $12,436
Average a year $162,640

Compensation and benefits manager pay range

What compensation and benefits managers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $89,160 $42.86
25th $113,170 $54.41
Median (50th) $149,230 $71.75
75th $200,610 $96.45
90th (top 10%) $256,570 $123.35

The median is 193% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 22,940 people work as compensation and benefits managers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$2,870
Every two weeks
$5,740
Twice a month
$6,218
A month
$12,436

At the median salary, before tax.

Compensation and benefits manager salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Connecticut pays compensation and benefits managers the most, at $209,600 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Connecticut $209,600 $197,970 480 After tax
Washington $206,130 $199,190 460 After tax
Massachusetts $196,100 $184,070 670 After tax
New York $194,040 $175,620 2,260 After tax
Delaware $180,550 $166,070 50 After tax
California $180,130 $166,730 2,970 After tax
New Jersey $178,260 $168,370 950 After tax
Virginia $177,030 $153,660 – After tax
Georgia $175,500 $163,060 1,010 After tax
District of Columbia $170,480 $160,990 130 After tax
Rhode Island $170,170 $149,340 50 After tax
Minnesota $168,320 $163,390 360 After tax
Michigan $164,050 $151,620 580 After tax
Colorado $163,370 $165,770 280 After tax
Oregon $159,880 $161,470 240 After tax
Maryland $159,390 $139,860 430 After tax
Illinois $156,340 $151,730 780 After tax
Pennsylvania $152,910 $139,040 770 After tax
Ohio $151,990 $141,920 460 After tax
Maine $150,080 $129,690 50 After tax
Texas $148,610 $136,930 2,230 After tax
Tennessee $148,100 $132,780 670 After tax
North Carolina $146,220 $135,240 880 After tax
Wisconsin $145,670 $127,920 – After tax
Arizona $142,270 $129,890 510 After tax
Arkansas $140,120 $100,810 140 After tax
Utah $138,720 $132,620 200 After tax
Kentucky $137,860 $114,290 110 After tax
New Mexico $137,360 $124,390 40 After tax
Missouri $137,200 $106,490 250 After tax
New Hampshire $136,930 $136,950 100 After tax
Florida $136,770 $127,960 1,670 After tax
Iowa $135,150 $118,250 120 After tax
Louisiana $130,920 $99,840 220 After tax
Indiana $129,160 $118,180 170 After tax
Nebraska $129,020 $121,630 140 After tax
Alabama $128,960 $118,470 90 After tax
Nevada $125,250 $115,180 180 After tax
Kansas $124,320 $114,070 70 After tax
Oklahoma $123,000 $107,760 180 After tax
Alaska $122,910 $122,490 30 After tax
South Carolina $119,340 $99,630 330 After tax
Hawaii $118,940 $110,120 60 After tax
Idaho $113,490 $90,020 100 After tax
Puerto Rico $107,190 $97,500 30
Mississippi $101,170 $89,250 70 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other management jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Compensation and Benefits Managers” (SOC 11-3111). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a compensation and benefits manager make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a compensation and benefits manager is $71.75, and the average is $78.19. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $42.86 an hour and the top 10% over $123.35.

How much does a compensation and benefits manager make a month?

At the median salary of $149,230, a compensation and benefits manager earns about $12,436 a month before tax, or $5,740 every two weeks.

Which state pays compensation and benefits managers the most?

Connecticut has the highest average pay for a compensation and benefits manager, at $209,600 a year. Next are Washington and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a compensation and benefits manager?

The lowest-paid 10% of compensation and benefits managers earn less than $89,160 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $113,170. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid compensation and benefits managers make?

The top 10% earn more than $256,570 a year, and the top 25% more than $200,610.