National Salary Info » Compensation and Benefits Managers

Highest Paying Industries for Compensation and Benefits Managers

The top 100 highest paying industries for compensation and benefits managers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $144,890, oil and gas extraction is the highest paying industry for compensation and benefits managers. It is followed by securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage industry (average annual salary $143,040). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of compensation and benefits managers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Compensation and Benefits Managers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Oil and Gas Extraction	$144,890	$74,940	40
2	Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage	$143,040	$75,850	150
3	Other Financial Investment Activities	$142,510	$81,650	130
4	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$140,660	$79,830	300
5	Pipeline Transportation	$138,050	$79,620	30
6	Mining	$136,100	$68,430	70
7	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$134,250	$82,950	90
8	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$133,770	$88,440	60
9	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$133,730	$60,000	70
10	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$133,590	$72,590	80
11	Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$132,700	$65,550	140
12	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$131,510	$61,480	70
13	Other Information Services	$131,170	$82,190	90
14	Telecommunications	$130,350	$80,390	130
15	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$129,750	$72,740	320
16	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$128,770	$68,780	210
17	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$128,340	$74,400	210
18	Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$128,250	$58,130	60
19	Chemical Manufacturing	$128,130	$71,900	120
20	Information	$126,930	$72,030	590
21	Scientific Research and Development Services	$125,440	$70,290	230
22	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$125,090	$73,400	240
23	Natural Gas Distribution	$124,610	$56,850	80
24	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$124,550	$78,170	100
25	Office Administrative Services	$124,510	$61,460	400
26	Insurance Carriers	$123,550	$77,160	700
27	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$123,100	$82,190	30
28	Software Publishers	$122,650	$68,930	110
29	Broadcasting (except Internet)	$122,610	$70,550	60
30	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$122,560	$74,710	90
31	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$122,490	$81,160	170
32	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$120,900	$70,980	80
33	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	$120,630	$62,500	270
34	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$120,510	$77,810	220
35	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$119,350	$71,220	40
36	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$118,880	$69,530	1,240
37	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$118,700	$56,360	40
38	Legal Services	$117,970	$67,850	290
39	Finance and Insurance	$117,920	$63,580	2,300
40	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$117,510	$65,300	1,940
41	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$117,370	$60,130	140
42	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$117,250	$65,410	160
43	Administrative and Support Services	$117,170	$56,130	680
44	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$116,840	$63,160	3,890
45	Television Broadcasting	$116,640	$67,880	50
46	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$116,490	$64,740	660
47	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$116,370	$55,910	760
48	Radio and Television Broadcasting	$116,230	$68,110	50
49	Utilities	$114,210	$65,590	190
50	Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	$113,460	$63,590	540
51	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$113,000	$66,750	200
52	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$112,330	$55,660	100
53	Activities Related to Real Estate	$112,300	$47,490	50
54	Wholesale Trade	$111,870	$64,380	340
55	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$111,850	$73,730	100
56	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$110,950	$69,800	690
57	Hospitals - Privately owned	$110,650	$69,560	710
58	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$109,830	$53,900	70
59	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$109,760	$68,660	750
60	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$109,680	$58,160	260
61	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$109,570	$68,140	780
62	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$109,320	$58,640	260
63	Other Insurance Related Activities	$109,220	$65,020	270
64	Air Transportation	$109,100	$66,390	80
65	Scheduled Air Transportation	$109,070	$66,340	80
66	Construction	$108,900	$54,200	100
67	Temporary Help Services	$108,840	$46,330	130
68	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$108,520	$60,030	80
69	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$107,760	$52,640	150
70	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$107,720	$58,830	70
71	Nonresidential Building Construction	$107,560	$49,700	50
72	Employment Services	$106,980	$49,650	210
73	Engineering Services	$106,090	$57,440	180
74	Construction of Buildings	$106,070	$50,360	50
75	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$105,750	$71,310	40
76	Offices of Physicians	$105,200	$47,880	60
77	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$105,060	$67,930	50
78	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$104,950	$58,250	220
79	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$104,630	$54,520	730
80	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$104,590	$55,670	160
81	Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$104,550	$66,270	50
82	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$102,860	$64,860	40
83	Transportation and Warehousing	$102,450	$59,080	230
84	Real Estate	$101,890	$50,050	120
85	Rail Transportation	$100,900	$77,660	40
86	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$100,310	$55,310	230
87	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$99,770	$49,280	30
88	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$99,230	$62,030	170
89	Health Care and Social Assistance	$99,010	$54,070	1,360
90	Educational Services - Privately owned	$98,910	$54,270	260
91	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$98,810	$64,050	40
92	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$98,040	$58,660	80
93	Machinery Manufacturing	$97,940	$56,560	180
94	Depository Credit Intermediation	$97,560	$53,240	550
95	Activities Related to Credit Intermediation	$97,170	$64,460	40
96	Manufacturing	$97,150	$54,860	1,560
97	Social Advocacy Organizations	$97,140	$51,320	40
98	Hospitals - Local government owned	$95,900	$44,690	n/a
99	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	$95,650	$50,420	30
100	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$95,150	$44,100	n/a