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Benefit Administration Services in the US - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Brendan McErlaine Brendan McErlaine New York, United States Last Updated: June 2025 NAICS OD5533

Revenue

$308.3bn

2025

$308.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xbn

Employees

539k

Businesses

95,532

Wages

$XX.Xbn

Benefit Administration Services in the US industry analysis

Since 2020, benefit administration services companies have faced significant volatility driven by various economic conditions. The pandemic led to a sharp drop in business sales and employment, constraining demand for benefit administration services. However, a surge in investments in health plans helped the industry maintain stability, enabling revenue to rise markedly in 2020. The post-pandemic recovery brought increased employment and corporate profit, providing a temporary boost to revenue. Regardless, concerns about viruses waned, investment in health plans decreased and inflation pushed providers to reduce spending, driving some businesses to manage benefits in-house and ultimately slowing demand for the industry’s services in 2021 and 2022. Despite this restrained growth, high corporate profit enabled the boom of the tech and finance sectors, fueled by AI advancements, which drove strong revenue gains in 2023 and 2024 and pushed up profit’s revenue share over the past five years.

Trends and Insights

  • Economic volatility—sparked by the pandemic, inflation and shifting business investment—has deeply affected benefit administration services providers. While corporate profit and employment rebounded post-pandemic, competition from in-house teams and traditional insurers has squeezed revenue growth and forced providers to rethink their strategies.
  • Health and welfare plans drive most of the Benefit Administration Services industry's revenue. Providers mainly handle the nitty-gritty of enrollment, billing and claims for employer-based health insurance and related benefits.
  • With major states like Florida and Georgia, the Southeast region boasts the largest population share, driving up demand for employee benefits management. This region's establishment share is set to rise as both businesses and retirees flock down south.
  • Since there are so many benefit administration service providers, internal competition is intense. Players compete on the range of services offered, price and ability to adopt new technologies.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.6 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $308.3bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Shifts in economic conditions have enhanced volatility for providers

  • Benefit administration service companies have experienced excess volatility since 2020, largely because of the pandemic, its associated recovery and a major spike in inflation in 2022.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Benefit Administration Services in the US
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Tariffs are expected to reduce investment in benefits administration

  • During the first half of 2025, the Trump administration imposed major tariffs on most goods across all nations. The administration's impositions are set to elevate prices for consumers and escalate input costs for manufacturers, making it more challenging for consumers to afford goods and services. For this reason, these duties will constrain household spending and potentially push the US economy into a recession.

Biggest companies in the Benefit Administration Services in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($short_0)
2025
Profit ($short_0)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the Benefit Administration Services in the US industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

Benefit Administration Services in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Administration and management of pension plan , Administration and management of self-funded health/welfare plans and Administration and management of other health/welfare plans. Administration and management of pension plan is the largest segment of the Benefit Administration Services in the US.

Trends and Insights

Health and welfare plans dominate the industry

  • More than nine-tenths of the industry's revenue comes from third-party administration of health and welfare plans, including medical, surgical, hospital, vacation, training and other types of employee benefits. The industry supports companies that purchase insurance or pay for employee health benefits themselves, which are called self-insured clients. Employer-based health insurance is the norm in the US, so management of these plans makes up nearly 60.0% of revenue.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Benefit administration services in the US involve managing and administering employee benefits programs such as health insurance, retirement plans, disability insurance and other perks provided by companies to their employees.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States include Pension plan third-party administration and management, Health/welfare plan third-party administration and management, Workers' compensation third-party administration and management, Administration and management of self-funded health/welfare plans and Data reporting and premium processing.

Companies

Companies covered in the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States include .

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States include defined benefit plan, workers' compensation and cobra.

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 524292 - Benefit Administration Services in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Economic volatility—sparked by the pandemic, inflation and shifting business investment—has deeply affected benefit administration services providers. While corporate profit ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Health and welfare plans drive most of the Benefit Administration Services industry's revenue. Providers mainly handle the nitty-gritty of enrollment, billing and claims for ...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

With major states like Florida and Georgia, the Southeast region boasts the largest population share, driving up demand for employee benefits management. This region's establ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Since there are so many benefit administration service providers, internal competition is intense. Players compete on the range of services offered, price and ability to adop...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The Benefit Administration Services industry is fragmented, with the largest companies accounting for a very small portion of revenue. Localization and relatively low barrier...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025

Detailed analysis

    External Environment

    Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

    Analyst insights

    Tax incentives keep benefit administration services in demand. Governments offer tax breaks to employers who adopt thorough benefits plans, directly fueling the need for effi...

    In this chapter

    • External Drivers
    • Regulation & Policy
    • Assistance

    Key metrics

    • Regulation & policy level and trend
    • Assistance level and trend

    Charts

    • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
    • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

    Detailed analysis

    • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
    • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
    • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

    Financial Benchmarks

    View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

    Analyst insights

    Because benefit administration services are always in demand for health and pension plans, revenue doesn't swing wildly. This steady demand has helped anchor profit, even tho...

    In this chapter

    • Cost Structure
    • Financial Ratios
    • Key Ratios

    Key metrics

    • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
    • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
    • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
    • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

    Charts

    • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
    • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
    • Investment vs. share of economy

    Data tables

    • Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
    • Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
    • Income Statement (2018-2023)
    • Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
    • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
    • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
    • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
    • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
    • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
    • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
    • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
    • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
    • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
    • Average Wage (2015-2030)
    • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
    • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
    • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
    • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
    • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

    Detailed analysis

    • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

    Key Statistics

    Industry Data

    Data Tables

    Including values and annual change:

    • Revenue (2015-2030)
    • IVA (2015-2030)
    • Establishments (2015-2030)
    • Enterprises (2015-2030)
    • Employment (2015-2030)
    • Exports (2015-2030)
    • Imports (2015-2030)
    • Wages (2015-2030)

    Top Questions Answered

    Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

    What is the market size of the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States in 2025?

    The market size of the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States is $308.3bn in 2025.

    How many businesses are there in the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States in 2025?

    There are 95,532 businesses in the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 9.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

    How may import tariffs affect the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States?

    The Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

    How may export tariffs affect the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States?

    The Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

    Has the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

    The market size of the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 3.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

    What is the forecast growth of the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

    Over the next five years, the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States is expected to grow.

    What does the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States include?

    Pension plan third-party administration and management and Health/welfare plan third-party administration and management are part of the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States.

    How competitive is the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States?

    The level of competition is high and increasing in the Benefit Administration Services industry in the United States.

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    Methodology

    How are IBISWorld reports created?

    IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

    Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

    IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

    What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

    Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

    Key data sources in the US include: 

    • US Census Bureau
    • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
    • US International Trade Commission

    Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

    These sources include:

    • Industry and trade associations
    • Industry federations or regulators
    • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

    Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

    How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

    IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

    IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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