Compensation and Benefits Managers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for compensation and benefits managerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Connecticut$209,600
- Washington$206,130
- Massachusetts$196,100
- New York$194,040
- Delaware$180,550
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$101,170
- Idaho$113,490
- Hawaii$118,940
- South Carolina$119,340
- Alaska$122,910
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $209,600 | $197,970 | $101 | +28.9% | 480 |
| 2 | Washington | $206,130 | $199,190 | $99 | +26.7% | 460 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $196,100 | $184,070 | $94 | +20.6% | 670 |
| 4 | New York | $194,040 | $175,620 | $93 | +19.3% | 2,260 |
| 5 | Delaware | $180,550 | $166,070 | $87 | +11% | 50 |
| 6 | California | $180,130 | $166,730 | $87 | +10.8% | 2,970 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $178,260 | $168,370 | $86 | +9.6% | 950 |
| 8 | Virginia | $177,030 | $153,660 | $85 | +8.8% | — |
| 9 | Georgia | $175,500 | $163,060 | $84 | +7.9% | 1,010 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $170,480 | $160,990 | $82 | +4.8% | 130 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $170,170 | $149,340 | $82 | +4.6% | 50 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $168,320 | $163,390 | $81 | +3.5% | 360 |
| 13 | Michigan | $164,050 | $151,620 | $79 | +0.9% | 580 |
| 14 | Colorado | $163,370 | $165,770 | $79 | +0.4% | 280 |
| 15 | Oregon | $159,880 | $161,470 | $77 | -1.7% | 240 |
| 16 | Maryland | $159,390 | $139,860 | $77 | -2% | 430 |
| 17 | Illinois | $156,340 | $151,730 | $75 | -3.9% | 780 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $152,910 | $139,040 | $74 | -6% | 770 |
| 19 | Ohio | $151,990 | $141,920 | $73 | -6.5% | 460 |
| 20 | Maine | $150,080 | $129,690 | $72 | -7.7% | 50 |
| 21 | Texas | $148,610 | $136,930 | $71 | -8.6% | 2,230 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $148,100 | $132,780 | $71 | -8.9% | 670 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $146,220 | $135,240 | $70 | -10.1% | 880 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $145,670 | $127,920 | $70 | -10.4% | — |
| 25 | Arizona | $142,270 | $129,890 | $68 | -12.5% | 510 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $140,120 | $100,810 | $67 | -13.8% | 140 |
| 27 | Utah | $138,720 | $132,620 | $67 | -14.7% | 200 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $137,860 | $114,290 | $66 | -15.2% | 110 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $137,360 | $124,390 | $66 | -15.5% | 40 |
| 30 | Missouri | $137,200 | $106,490 | $66 | -15.6% | 250 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $136,930 | $136,950 | $66 | -15.8% | 100 |
| 32 | Florida | $136,770 | $127,960 | $66 | -15.9% | 1,670 |
| 33 | Iowa | $135,150 | $118,250 | $65 | -16.9% | 120 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $130,920 | $99,840 | $63 | -19.5% | 220 |
| 35 | Indiana | $129,160 | $118,180 | $62 | -20.6% | 170 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $129,020 | $121,630 | $62 | -20.7% | 140 |
| 37 | Alabama | $128,960 | $118,470 | $62 | -20.7% | 90 |
| 38 | Nevada | $125,250 | $115,180 | $60 | -23% | 180 |
| 39 | Kansas | $124,320 | $114,070 | $60 | -23.6% | 70 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $123,000 | $107,760 | $59 | -24.4% | 180 |
| 41 | Alaska | $122,910 | $122,490 | $59 | -24.4% | 30 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $119,340 | $99,630 | $57 | -26.6% | 330 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $118,940 | $110,120 | $57 | -26.9% | 60 |
| 44 | Idaho | $113,490 | $90,020 | $55 | -30.2% | 100 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $101,170 | $89,250 | $49 | -37.8% | 70 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 92 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $221,800 | $214,020 | 40 |
| 2 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $218,860 | $241,430 | 230 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $216,580 | $216,590 | 340 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $215,180 | $227,460 | 320 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $188,850 | $203,270 | 590 |
| 6 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $186,700 | $190,420 | 60 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $185,590 | $196,720 | 590 |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $179,730 | $199,050 | 2,420 |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $171,950 | $186,990 | 590 |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $168,850 | $167,850 | 230 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing compensation and benefits managerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $227,130 | $227,040 | 100 |
| 2 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $214,960 | $214,880 | 540 |
| 3 | Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers | $214,420 | $228,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Broadcasting and Content Providers | $206,840 | $209,940 | 110 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $204,660 | $206,460 | 40 |
| 6 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $201,560 | $210,460 | 50 |
| 7 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $198,480 | $202,150 | 340 |
| 8 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $198,480 | $202,990 | 330 |
| 9 | Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $195,190 | $199,300 | 270 |
| 10 | Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $195,190 | $199,300 | 270 |
| 11 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $192,250 | $180,840 | 30 |
| 12 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $192,250 | $180,840 | 30 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do compensation and benefits managers make in the U.S.?
The median compensation and benefits managers salary in the United States is $149,230 per year (mean $162,640), and about 80% earn between $89,160 and $256,570.
How much do compensation and benefits managers make per hour?
Roughly $78 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $162,640 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays compensation and benefits managers the most?
Connecticut has the highest average pay for compensation and benefits managers at $209,600 per year (median $197,970).
What is the job outlook for compensation and benefits managers?
Employment is projected to change +0.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 1,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.