CareersTotal Rewards Manager

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Verified Career Path

Total Rewards Manager: Facts, Skills, and Next Paths

A Total Rewards Manager designs and administers compensation, benefits, and recognition programs. They analyze market data to set salary ranges, manage health and retirement plans, and ensure programs comply with federal and state regulations.

This role typically reports to a VP of HR or CHRO and works closely with finance, legal, and talent acquisition. For example, at Beiersdorf AG, a Manager Compensation & Benefits oversees program design and governance while ensuring U.S. law compliance. At Joe & the Juice, a Compensation & Benefits Manager handles benefits administration and compensation analysis for a growing retail chain.

The median salary for a Total Rewards Manager is approximately $129,828. The most requested skills in current job postings include Performance Management (40%), Compliance (40%), Talent Acquisition (30%), Compensation Design (30%), Spreadsheet Modeling (30%), and Employee Relations (30%).

$102,613 – $166,540

9 resume skills

66 adjacent paths

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$102,613 – $166,540

Avg. Salary

18 paths

Adjacent Paths

62% avg. match

Avg. Match Score

15.9 shared skills

Shared Foundation

Live market pulse· updated 4d ago

Salary (live)

$102,613 – $166,540

median $129,828

Hiring now

10+ recent postings

Who's hiring

Advance Auto Parts, Beiersdorf AG, Frazer Jones

The Skill Blueprint for Total Rewards Manager

The core competencies employers ask for. Use them to strengthen your resume, spot gaps, and compare related career options.

In demand right nowPerformance Management · 40%Compliance · 40%Talent Acquisition · 30%Compensation Design · 30%Spreadsheet Modeling · 30%Employee Relations · 30%Team Leadership · 20%Data Governance · 20%

Where Else Can Total Rewards Manager Skills Take You?

Build toward this role and you may be building toward several others. Explore the paths that share the same foundation.

Adjacent Paths from Total Rewards Manager

Sort by:

1

Employee Relations Manager

15 shared skills · HR

77%

—Lateral shift

2

VP of People

13 shared skills · HR

71%

+$60kLateral shift

3

HR Generalist

19 shared skills · HR

70%

−$60kLateral shift

4

People Operations Manager

9 shared skills · HR

67%

−$14kLateral shift

5

Director of HR

18 shared skills · HR

67%

+$33kLateral shift

6

Head of Talent Acquisition

22 shared skills · HR

66%

−$53kLateral shift

7

Chief Human Resources Officer

16 shared skills · Executive

65%

—Career change

8

Customer Education Manager

20 shared skills · Customer Success

63%

−$16kCareer change

9

Chief People Officer

12 shared skills · HR

61%

+$408kLateral shift

10

HR Manager

17 shared skills · HR

58%

−$25kCareer change

11

Compliance Officer

16 shared skills · Legal

58%

−$11kCareer change

12

Chief Customer Officer

4 shared skills · Customer Success

57%

+$349kCareer change

13

HRIS Analyst

16 shared skills · HR

57%

−$31kCareer change

14

Talent Acquisition Manager

20 shared skills · HR

56%

−$37kCareer change

15

Recruiter

16 shared skills · HR

56%

−$20kCareer change

16

Contracts Manager

14 shared skills · Legal

55%

−$20kCareer change

17

VP of Strategy

22 shared skills · Strategy

54%

+$126kCareer change

18

Director of Strategy

18 shared skills · Strategy

54%

+$30kCareer change

Showing the top 18 of 66 transitions — explore the rest via the Network map.

Why People Explore Total Rewards Manager

High Impact Visibility

Total Rewards Managers sit at a critical intersection in the organization. Your work directly ties to key business metrics — making your impact visible across teams and to leadership.

Resume Signal

The skills behind Total Rewards Manager — Performance Management, Compliance, Talent Acquisition — give you concrete language for resumes, interviews, and adjacent roles.