CareersTotal Rewards Manager

TR

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%).

$102,377 – $165,825

9 resume skills

35 adjacent paths

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C&

CH

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CP

$102,377 – $165,825

Avg. Salary

18 paths

Adjacent Paths

55% avg. match

Avg. Match Score

40.3 shared skills

Shared Foundation

Live market pulse· updated 10d ago

Salary (live)

$102,377 – $165,825

median $129,401

Hiring now

10+ recent postings

Who's hiring

Nando's PERi-PERi North America, Bigelow Tea, Alfasigma

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 nowTotal Rewards · 100%Compliance · 100%Strategy · 90%Leadership · 90%Benchmarking · 80%Analytics & Reporting · 70%Analytics · 60%Governance · 60%

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

44 shared skills · HR

63%

+$8kLateral shift

2

Compensation & Benefits Manager

51 shared skills · HR

62%

+$36kLateral shift

3

Chief Human Resources Officer

45 shared skills · Executive

60%

+$219kCareer change

4

People Operations Manager

43 shared skills · HR

60%

+$1kLateral shift

5

Chief People Officer

39 shared skills · HR

59%

+$101kCareer change

6

Benefits Administrator

41 shared skills · HR

59%

−$63kCareer change

7

HR Manager

40 shared skills · HR

57%

−$7kCareer change

8

Payroll Manager

38 shared skills · Finance

55%

−$19kCareer change

9

Director of HR

32 shared skills · HR

54%

+$34kCareer change

10

Chief Legal Officer

34 shared skills · Executive

54%

+$168kCareer change

11

Head of Talent Acquisition

46 shared skills · HR

53%

+$86kCareer change

12

VP of People

32 shared skills · HR

53%

+$61kCareer change

13

Investor Relations Manager

37 shared skills · Finance

52%

+$133kCareer change

14

Tax Analyst

39 shared skills · Finance

51%

−$30kCareer change

15

Tax Manager

40 shared skills · Finance

51%

+$16kCareer change

16

HRIS Analyst

45 shared skills · HR

50%

−$38kCareer change

17

Warehouse Manager

27 shared skills · Operations

50%

−$51kCareer change

18

HR Business Partner

52 shared skills · HR

49%

−$24kCareer change

Showing the top 18 of 35 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.