Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Identifying problems, considering possible solutions, and choosing appropriate actions.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialist Specialists typically need previous work experience in human resources occupations. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree and related work experience to enter the occupation.
Education
Employers typically require that compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists have a bachelor’s degree. Common fields of degree include business, social science, psychology, and communications. Some employers accept additional related work experience in lieu of a degree. Regardless of major, students interested in this occupation may find it useful to take courses in subjects such as human resources management, finance, and accounting. Work Experience in a Related Occupation Employers typically require that compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists have experience that includes compensation analysis, benefits administration, or general human resources work. Experience in related fields, such as finance, insurance, or business administration, also may be helpful. Some candidates gain this experience through internships. However, others gain experience from working in human resources occupations, such as human resources specialists.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Although professional certification is not required, it demonstrates expertise. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have certification, but other employers allow their employees to earn certification after they have begun working. Certification programs often require applicants to have several years of related work experience in order to qualify for the credential. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. Advancement Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists may advance to become a compensation and benefits manager or a human resources manager. Specialists typically need several years of work experience to advance.
Your Next Step
Compare colleges and education options that can support the typical entry-level education for this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations. About 9,000 openings for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Organizations will continue to hire benefits specialists to analyze, select, and update their benefits policies. Organizations will need benefits specialists to design, evaluate, and administer policies to reduce rising healthcare costs due to the aging population and rising use of next-generation diabetes and weight-loss drugs. In addition, organizations must manage increasingly complex benefits programs as federal, state, and local policies change. Organizations will need specialists to analyze these compensation policies and plans and to ensure that they are both competitive and cost effective. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists 6% Business operations specialists 6% Total, all occupations 3% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists Do
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists oversee wage and nonwage programs that an organization provides to its employees in return for their work. They also evaluate position descriptions to determine details such as classification and salary.
Duties
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists typically do the following:
- Research compensation and benefits policies and plans
- Use data and cost analyses to compare compensation and benefits plans
- Evaluate position descriptions to determine classification and salary
- Ensure that an organization complies with federal and state laws
- Design and prepare reports summarizing research and analysis
- Present recommendations to other human resources managers
Some specialists perform tasks within all areas of compensation, benefits, and job analysis. Others specialize in a specific area.
Compensation specialists assess an organization’s pay structure for employees. They research compensation trends and review surveys to determine how their organization’s pay compares with that of other organizations in a particular industry and region. They often perform complex data and cost analyses to evaluate compensation policies. They also ensure that the organization’s pay practices comply with federal and state laws and regulations, such as equal pay laws, minimum wage, overtime, and workers’ compensation.
Benefits specialists administer an organization’s compensation programs that are supplemental to wages, including retirement plans, leave policies, wellness programs, and insurance plans. They research, analyze, and then recommend benefits plans, policies, and programs. They frequently monitor government regulations, legislation, and benefits trends to ensure that their programs are current, legal, and competitive. They also work closely with insurance brokers and benefits carriers and manage the enrollment, delivery of benefits, and renewal to the organization’s employees.
Job analysis specialists, also known as position classifiers, evaluate an organization’s positions by writing or assigning job descriptions, determining position classifications, and preparing salary scales. When the organization introduces a new job or reviews existing jobs, specialists must conduct research and make recommendations to managers on the classification, description, status, and salary of those jobs.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists held about 118,100 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists were as follows:
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 20% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 7 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 7 |
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists work in nearly every industry.
They typically work in offices.
Work Schedules
Most compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists work full time.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Analytical skills. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists perform data and cost analyses to evaluate their organization’s policies. They also must be able to interpret the details of contracts and laws. Business skills. Specialists must understand basic finance and accounting. They help set the wages and benefits packages for new employees. Communication skills. Specialists need to provide information about compensation and benefits in a way that is understandable to employees at all levels throughout their organization. Critical-thinking skills. Specialists must be able to evaluate job positions, salary scales, promotion practices, and other compensation and benefits policies.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.