Compensation and Benefits Managers vs General and Operations Managers: $149K vs $106K Median Pay

Compensation and Benefits Managers vs General and Operations Managers: what changes?

Consider Compensation and Benefits Managers if you want to plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization. Consider General and Operations Managers if you would rather plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Compensation and Benefits Managers (5 years or more) and General and Operations Managers (5 years or more).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Compensation and Benefits Managers and General and Operations 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

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

General and Operations Managers

National median pay (2025): $105,770
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: Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 285,000

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 General and Operations Managers brief

How the national numbers differ

General and Operations Managers has the edge on annual openings

General and Operations Managers is at 285,000 annual openings, compared with 1,600 annual openings for Compensation and Benefits Managers.

General and Operations Managers has the edge on projected growth

General and Operations Managers is at 5% projected growth, compared with 1.1% projected growth for Compensation and Benefits Managers.

Compensation and Benefits Managers has the edge on median pay

Compensation and Benefits Managers is at $149,230, compared with $105,770 for General and Operations Managers.

49.5/ 100

Compensation and Benefits Managers

77.1/ 100

General and Operations 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

Compensation and Benefits Managers vs General and Operations Managers

Dimension	Compensation and Benefits Managers	General and Operations Managers
Median pay (2025)	$149,230	$105,770
Pay percentile	95.2 percentile	86.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1.1%	5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,600	285,000
2025 employment	23,700	3,599,000
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 4	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 Compensation and Benefits Managers brief Read General and Operations Managers brief

Compensation and Benefits Managers vs General and Operations Managers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Compensation and Benefits Managers

General and Operations Managers

How the national numbers differ

General and Operations Managers has the edge on annual openings

General and Operations Managers has the edge on projected growth

Compensation and Benefits Managers has the edge on median pay

Compensation and Benefits Managers vs General and Operations Managers

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