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Business Operations

Compensation /Benefits Manager

Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.

Annual openings

23

Median wage

$165,770

Typical education

A minimum of a Bachelor's degree plus work experience

Growth 2026–2032

+9%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

A minimum of a Bachelor's degree plus work experience

Credential requirement

Certifications from HRCI, such as the Professional in Human Resources, are valued.

Work experience

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. Work experience in Human Resources and as a Supervisor is highly valued.

Employer competency information

Feedback from employers identifies the following competencies as being critical to support a successful move up to the Manager level

  • Planning & Organizing — Plan and organize the successful completion of tasks and projects for multiple teams; set expectations for team members and hold them accountable.
  • Personnel & Human Resources and Interpersonal Skills — Understand behaviors (Psychology) of team members; motivate, empower and get a diverse team to work well together; lead and manage staff; deal with others with fairness and integrity; and hire and fill skills gaps effectively.
  • Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, & Decision Making — Continue to elevate these skills for use in activities that cross teams, including strategic thinking and vision setting across an organization.
Compensation roles often look at benchmark compensation surveys to determine where your organization fits within the market.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Automation exposure

Low exposure

Tasks here lean on judgement and people skills that are hard to automate.

A typical day

  1. Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies.
  2. Design, evaluate, and modify benefits policies to ensure that programs are current, competitive, and in compliance with legal requirements.
  3. Fulfill all reporting requirements of all relevant government rules and regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
  4. Analyze compensation policies, government regulations, and prevailing wage rates to develop competitive compensation plan.
  5. Identify and implement benefits to increase the quality of life for employees by working with brokers and researching benefits issues.
  6. Manage the design and development of tools to assist employees in benefits selection, and to guide managers through compensation decisions.
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