United States · Pay by job · Business and Finance
Compensation and Benefits Specialist salary and take-home pay
The typical US compensation and benefits specialist earns $78,210 a year, or $37.60 an hour (BLS, May 2025). In Texas, where the median for this job is $74,800, a single filer keeps about $61,452 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
BLS title: Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists (SOC 13-1141). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
How much does a compensation and benefits specialist earn?
| Percentile | Bar | A year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $49,480 | $23.79 | |
| 25th | $60,890 | $29.28 | |
| Median | $78,210 | $37.60 | |
| 75th | $100,400 | $48.27 | |
| 90th | $128,920 | $61.98 |
The middle half of people in this job earn $60,890 to $100,400 a year, and about 112,380 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).
Take-home pay tool
Compensation and Benefits Specialist · Texas · single · median
$61,451.80 a year after tax
$5,120.98 a month · $2,363.53 a paycheck (every two weeks)
| Pay before tax | $74,800.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | −$7,626.00 |
| Social Security and Medicare | −$5,722.20 |
| Texas tax and payroll contributions | none |
| Take-home pay | $61,451.80 |
Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $74,800 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.
What does a compensation and benefits specialist take home at each pay point?
A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:
| Pay a year | Texas | California | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $49,480 | $41,937 | $40,352 | $39,617 |
| 25th | $60,890 | $51,105 | $48,687 | $48,120 |
| Median | $78,210 | $63,851 | $59,912 | $59,855 |
| 75th | $100,400 | $79,461 | $73,208 | $74,135 |
| 90th | $128,920 | $99,383 | $90,106 | $92,132 |
Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.
Where does a compensation and benefits specialist keep the most after tax?
Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.
| Rank | State | Median pay | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $86,630 | $68,573 |
| 2 | California | $91,410 | $67,837 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $80,810 | $65,680 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $85,040 | $64,881 |
| 5 | Alaska | $79,160 | $64,248 |
| 6 | New York | $83,200 | $63,075 |
| 7 | Virginia | $81,190 | $62,093 |
| 8 | Michigan | $79,480 | $61,617 |
| 9 | Texas | $74,800 | $61,452 |
| 10 | Illinois | $79,300 | $60,837 |
| 11 | Ohio | $75,780 | $60,501 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $69,990 | $58,068 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $69,090 | $57,435 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $70,640 | $56,307 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $67,970 | $54,444 |
| 16 | Florida | $65,020 | $54,424 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $64,630 | $54,110 |
| 18 | Georgia | $66,690 | $53,167 |
Not ranked, because BLS released no median there: Nevada.
How much does a compensation and benefits specialist earn in each state?
| State | Median pay | People in the job | Take-home (single) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,710 | 1,000 | not yet |
| Alaska | $79,160 | 180 | $64,248 (#5) |
| Arizona | $74,930 | 2,230 | not yet |
| Arkansas | $61,280 | 490 | not yet |
| California | $91,410 | 13,430 | $67,837 (#2) |
| Colorado | $92,560 | 1,980 | not yet |
| Connecticut | $83,100 | 1,140 | not yet |
| Delaware | $99,560 | 290 | not yet |
| District of Columbia | $86,710 | 650 | not yet |
| Florida | $65,020 | 6,610 | $54,424 (#16) |
| Georgia | $66,690 | 4,780 | $53,167 (#18) |
| Hawaii | $64,090 | 260 | not yet |
| Idaho | $63,680 | 500 | not yet |
| Illinois | $79,300 | 4,410 | $60,837 (#10) |
| Indiana | $68,300 | 1,820 | not yet |
| Iowa | $67,160 | 1,070 | not yet |
| Kansas | $67,990 | 640 | not yet |
| Kentucky | $64,690 | 670 | not yet |
| Louisiana | $62,700 | 1,050 | not yet |
| Maine | $77,400 | 180 | not yet |
| Maryland | $79,700 | 1,650 | not yet |
| Massachusetts | $95,890 | 3,390 | not yet |
| Michigan | $79,480 | 2,480 | $61,617 (#8) |
| Minnesota | $78,770 | not released | not yet |
| Mississippi | $51,670 | 370 | not yet |
| Missouri | $74,260 | 1,670 | not yet |
| Montana | $75,290 | 190 | not yet |
| Nebraska | $67,410 | 460 | not yet |
| Nevada | not released | not released | – |
| New Hampshire | $80,810 | 380 | $65,680 (#3) |
| New Jersey | $85,040 | 3,150 | $64,881 (#4) |
| New Mexico | $83,540 | 340 | not yet |
| New York | $83,200 | 11,470 | $63,075 (#6) |
| North Carolina | $67,970 | 3,930 | $54,444 (#15) |
| North Dakota | $70,480 | 100 | not yet |
| Ohio | $75,780 | 2,950 | $60,501 (#11) |
| Oklahoma | $64,260 | 1,200 | not yet |
| Oregon | $83,320 | 1,330 | not yet |
| Pennsylvania | $70,640 | 4,910 | $56,307 (#14) |
| Rhode Island | $80,330 | 300 | not yet |
| South Carolina | $63,450 | 1,160 | not yet |
| South Dakota | $64,630 | 630 | $54,110 (#17) |
| Tennessee | $69,990 | 2,150 | $58,068 (#12) |
| Texas | $74,800 | not released | $61,452 (#9) |
| Utah | $52,090 | not released | not yet |
| Vermont | $76,030 | 170 | not yet |
| Virginia | $81,190 | 3,500 | $62,093 (#7) |
| Washington | $86,630 | 3,350 | $68,573 (#1) |
| West Virginia | $48,080 | 580 | not yet |
| Wisconsin | $72,130 | 1,840 | not yet |
| Wyoming | $69,090 | not released | $57,435 (#13) |
Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.
What is the job outlook for a compensation and benefits specialist?
BLS expects jobs as a compensation and benefits specialist to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
- Job growth, 2025 to 2035
- +6%
- Openings a year
- about 9,000
- Usual education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
What do similar jobs pay?
The 10 business and finance jobs closest in pay to a compensation and benefits specialist:
- Insurance Underwriter median $81,370
- Other Financial Specialist median $81,100
- Compliance Officer median $80,730
- Market Research Analyst median $78,760
- Cost Estimator median $78,740
- Auto Damage Insurance Appraiser median $78,240
- Claims Adjuster and Examiner median $78,000
- Buyer and Purchasing Agent median $77,710
- Loan Officer median $76,690
- Human Resources Specialist median $75,940
Every job in the group: Business and Finance jobs. Not sure which job suits you? Try the free career test.
What else can I work out?
- Your paycheck on $78,210, with any pay schedule, 401(k) or HSA.
- Hourly to salary: $37.60 an hour as a yearly salary.
- Your 2026 tax refund on $78,210, with the new deductions for tips and overtime.
Where do these figures come from?
Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.
Questions about compensation and benefits specialist pay
How much does a compensation and benefits specialist make an hour?
The median is $37.60 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $29.28 to $48.27, and the top 10% earn $61.98 or more.
Which state pays a compensation and benefits specialist the most?
Among the 50 states and DC, Delaware has the highest median for this job: $99,560 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, Washington leaves the most: $68,573 a year for a single filer on its median of $86,630.
What is a compensation and benefits specialist’s take-home pay?
On the national median of $78,210, a single filer keeps about $63,851 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $59,912 in California and $59,855 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.
What education do you need to be a compensation and benefits specialist?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the usual way in, with less than 5 years of work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.
Is the number of compensation and benefits specialist jobs growing?
BLS expects jobs as a compensation and benefits specialist to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).