Chief Executives vs Compensation and Benefits Managers: $214K vs $149K Median Pay

Chief Executives vs Compensation and Benefits Managers: what changes?

Consider Chief Executives if you want to determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Consider Compensation and Benefits Managers if you would rather plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Chief Executives (5 years or more) and Compensation and Benefits Managers (5 years or more).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Chief Executives and Compensation and Benefits Managers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Chief Executives

National median pay (2025): $213,990
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 19,100

Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Chief Executives brief

Compensation and Benefits Managers

National median pay (2025): $149,230
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Direct preparation and distribution of written and verbal information to inform employees of benefits, compensation, and personnel policies.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,600

Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Compensation and Benefits Managers brief

How the national numbers differ

Chief Executives has the edge on annual openings

Chief Executives is at 19,100 annual openings, compared with 1,600 annual openings for Compensation and Benefits Managers.

Chief Executives has the edge on projected growth

Chief Executives is at 3.2% projected growth, compared with 1.1% projected growth for Compensation and Benefits Managers.

Typical preparation differs.

Chief Executives: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more Compensation and Benefits Managers: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Chief Executives has the edge on median pay

Chief Executives is at $213,990, compared with $149,230 for Compensation and Benefits Managers.

67.1/ 100

Chief Executives

49.5/ 100

Compensation and Benefits Managers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Chief Executives vs Compensation and Benefits Managers

Dimension	Chief Executives	Compensation and Benefits Managers
Median pay (2025)	$213,990	$149,230
Pay percentile	97.5 percentile	95.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	3.2%	1.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	19,100	1,600
2025 employment	291,600	23,700
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	Prior related experience: 5 years or more.	Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Chief Executives brief Read Compensation and Benefits Managers brief

Chief Executives vs Compensation and Benefits Managers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Chief Executives

Compensation and Benefits Managers

How the national numbers differ

Chief Executives has the edge on annual openings

Chief Executives has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

Chief Executives has the edge on median pay

Chief Executives vs Compensation and Benefits Managers

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