{"id":8136,"date":"2020-02-09T11:43:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T11:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/compt.io\/?p=8136"},"modified":"2025-03-21T13:45:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T19:45:50","slug":"definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/","title":{"rendered":"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As the market for skilled labor tightens, the ways in which employers support their employees have grown in tandem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Companies today are doing anything and everything they can to attract, engage, and retain top talent, and a direct result of this is more comprehensive total compensation plans.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of the expansion and increased investment in total compensation packages, now more than ever, the industry needs clear definitions of what benefits, perks, perk stipends, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/lifestyle-spending-accounts-guide\">lifestyle spending accounts<\/a> (LSA) are. Continuing without a consensus, people will continue to be confused, time and money will continue to be wasted, and worst of all &#8212; we won\u2019t understand our employee&#8217;s actual needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are the elements of compensation we&#8217;ll cover in this piece:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Compensation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Salary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Benefits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perk Stipends\/Perk Allowances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lifestyle Spending Accounts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Compensation\">Compensation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Compensation Definition:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While once considered just salary, the definition of compensation has expanded to describe the entire package that employees receive for their labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compensation includes salary, bonus commission, stock options, benefits, perks, and any other additional financial or non-financial extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to an Ernst &amp; Young report, 63% of respondents said that an employer which \u201cprovides fair compensation and good benefits\u201d was a leading factor in determining the level of trust to place on their employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/smallbusiness.chron.com\/difference-between-base-salary-total-compensation-21449.html\">Small Business Chron<\/a><\/em><em>, <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/compensation-definition-and-inclusions-1918085\">The Balance Careers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Benefits\">Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Benefits Definition:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Benefits are non-salary compensation given to employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two forms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Government-mandated benefits and company-determined benefits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Benefits that employers are required by federal or state law to provide (within specific parameters):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/cobra-consolidated-omnibus-budget-reconciliation-act-2061945\">COBRA<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/family-and-medical-leave-act-fmla-2058514\">Family and Medical Leave Act<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/what-is-the-minimum-wage-2060628\">Minimum Wage<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/how-overtime-pay-is-calculated-2063430\">Overtime<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/how-to-claim-unemployment-benefits-2058799\">Unemployment Benefits<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Workers Compensation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are examples of benefits a company can offer to make their organization a more attractive place to work. They often include insurance, retirement benefits, health-related accounts, and formalized paid time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples of benefits:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Paid time off (aka holidays, vacation, and sick days)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Health insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dental insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vision insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disability insurance (short-term and long-term)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Retirement benefits: 401(k)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Healthcare spending or reimbursement accounts (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplekeep.com\/blog\/hsas-vs-hrps-savings-accounts-vs-reimbursement-plans\">HSAs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcbsm.com\/index\/health-insurance-help\/faqs\/plan-types\/health-spending-accounts\/differences-between-an-hsa-hra-fsa.html\">FSAs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplekeep.com\/blog\/hsas-vs-hrps-savings-accounts-vs-reimbursement-plans\">HRPs<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplekeep.com\/blog\/what-is-a-health-reimbursement-arrangement\">HRAs<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What benefits are not:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Commuter stipends or benefits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lifestyle spending accounts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flexible work location or working hours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Things that have tax advantages. While it\u2019s true some do have tax advantages such as ROTH 401k or an FSA, not all of them do.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancecareers.com\/types-of-employee-benefits-and-perks-2060433\">The Balance Careers<\/a><\/em><em>, <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrzone.com\/hr-glossary\/what-are-employee-benefits\">HR Zone benefits definition<\/a><\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Perks\">Perks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Perks are additional ways to support the needs of employees beyond salary or benefits and include ones that are purchasable and programmatic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(\ufeffRead here to find all the secrets you need to know to build a top-notch perks program)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Purchasable perks include catered lunches, books, fitness stipends, pet insurance, and student loan forgiveness. Programmatic perks are policy-driven advantages to working at a company such as being pet-friendly, Summer Fridays, or remote work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perks are one of the largest umbrellas of offerings as many items fit within them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples of offerings:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Beer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Car allowances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Career coaching services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Casual dress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Catered meals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Charitable matching<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Child care (in-office support or subsidized)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>College loan repayment services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commuter Stipends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company outings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conferences &amp; training<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continuous Learning Stipends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dedicated time for learning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fitness Stipend<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flex Work Hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Game Room<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generous Parental Leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gym memberships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Happy Hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lifestyle spending accounts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meditation rooms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mentorship Programs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Online learning classes &amp; courses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Onsite gym<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Performance bonus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pet-friendly office<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pet insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Professional memberships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Certificates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recreational clubs (company-sponsored teams)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Relocation assistance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remote work opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sabbatical leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Software stipends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Summer Friday&#8217;s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tech goodies stipend<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tuition reimbursement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volunteering opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wellness programs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other, less-discussed perks:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Birthday lunches or gift cards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/employee-bonus-programs\">Spot bonuses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>President\u2019s Club<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To see a comprehensive list, check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/employee-perks#list\">employee perks listing page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What perks are not:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A company&#8217;s mission, vision, and values. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strong leadership or managers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excellent programs or processes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working close to the office. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/justworks.com\/blog\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-perk-and-a-benefit\">JustWorks<\/a><\/em><em>, Compt <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/employee-perks\">Employee Perks<\/a><\/em><em>, <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.roberthalf.com\/blog\/salaries-and-skills\/how-to-evaluate-the-compensation-package-and-job-offer\">Robert Half<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Perk Stipends\">Perk Stipends\/Allowances<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Perk stipends are monetary amounts allocated to employees for them to spend on perks that align with specific company policies, values, or culture initiatives. The amounts can be given to employees on credit cards, paid back through reimbursement (while accounting for taxes), or through a lifestyle spending account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples of perk stipends:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/health-wellness-stipends-perks\">Health &amp; wellness stipends<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/learning-development-stipends-perks\">Continuous learning stipends<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/remote-work-stipends-perks\">Remote work stipends<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family perk stipends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Travel stipends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Software stipends<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples of companies using perk stipends today:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Airbnb: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/blog\/airbnb\/\">$2,000 a year to spend on travel<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Qualtrics: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/qualtrics-gives-employees-money-to-spend-on-experiences-2018-4\">$1,500 a year to spend on experiences<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facebook: <a href=\"https:\/\/business.financialpost.com\/executive\/careers\/facebook-offers-employees-who-are-new-parents-4000-in-baby-cash-and-subsidized-daycare\">$4,000 in \u201cbaby cash\u201d stipend<\/a> for new parents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Microsoft: Annual <a href=\"https:\/\/careers.microsoft.com\/us\/en\/usbenefits\">$800 \u201cStayFit\u201d reimbursement<\/a> to pick your favorite way to stay fit physically, emotionally, and financially.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Basecamp: $100\/month for health and wellness, $100\/month for massages, $1,000\/year for continuing education, and $1,000\/year for charitable giving with matching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/open.buffer.com\/benefits-remote-company\/\">Buffer<\/a>: $20\/month for continuous learning, $3,000\/year dependents grant, and $200\/month remote work stipend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Circle: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.builtinboston.com\/2018\/04\/19\/boston-startups-favorite-perks\">$200 a month to spend on lunches<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/perk-stipends-nearly-everything-you-need-to-know\">Perk Stipends: Everything You Need to Know<\/a><\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"hs-cta-embed hs-cta-simple-placeholder hs-cta-embed-182042453609\"\n  style=\"max-width:100%; max-height:100%; width:1000px;height:250px\" data-hubspot-wrapper-cta-id=\"182042453609\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com\/web-interactives\/public\/v1\/track\/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJbuU%2Fshg8exMxb%2F%2FuEXGmeHjUgc69lZN2DuAVyq1sAYXp1G%2BLrqkPV6Zht0FUILjSEUMlQxVD0eFjYNIPqfpAdRZlg7znTDF6d2sok%2BLDPrcF7wRxQpy7ihdtgy%2BW7pWl5NtD1x2%2FBqt1t7MGwaWTELHmkY2UokuF%2FDTmn0KbUBj1A%2BCl42%2FxproxqJg2TsycsV%2FhE6XA4grsgqxuz41LIv2usj2nOO39mjDEpLJJT9aLU%2F3LVgwqsDtEUzJIJzFn4&#038;webInteractiveContentId=182042453609&#038;portalId=3919194\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload\" alt=\"generic-guides-demo-cta\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/3919194\/interactive-182042453609.png\" style=\"height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: fill\"\n      onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Lifestyle Spending Accounts\"><br>Lifestyle Spending Accounts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lifestyle spending account is an employer-contributed account set up for employees so that they are able to purchase the perks which are most meaningful to them and their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To set up a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/lifestyle-spending-accounts-guide\">lifestyle spending account<\/a>, companies set basic parameters for their employees\u2019 lifestyle spending accounts including how much each employee can spend, within what timeframe, in which categories, and who pays the taxes. Companies often align the categories of spending with the mission, vision, values, culture, or company goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lifestyle spending accounts are an ideal option for companies that wish to personalize their employee perks, support satellite offices or remote employees, ensure IRS tax compliance with perks, and remove the administrative burden on HR for managing individual perks and vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sounds perfect, doesn&#8217;t it? Want to learn more about how LSAs work? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compt.io\/perk-stipends-nearly-everything-you-need-to-know\">Read all you need to know about them here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: HR Daily Advisor, Lifestyle Spending Account eBook.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:38% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/the_ultimate_guide_to_lsas.png.w580.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7807 size-full lazyload\"\/><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/the_ultimate_guide_to_lsas.png.w580.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7807 size-full lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/the_ultimate_guide_to_lsas.png.w580.webp 580w, https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/the_ultimate_guide_to_lsas.png.w580-300x276.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want to learn more about Lifestyle Spending Accounts?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a helpful resource for you. Download our Ultimate Guide eBook and receive 22 pages full of what you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s FREE!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button secondary\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link elementor-button wp-element-button\">Download the eBook<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the market for skilled labor tightens, the ways in which employers support their employees have grown in tandem. Companies today are doing anything and everything they can to attract, engage, and retain top talent, and a direct result of this is more comprehensive total compensation plans. Because of the expansion and increased investment in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-compensation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This page provides definitions and differences between the major types of compensation including salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and lifestyle spending accounts so you can choose what fits best with your business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This page provides definitions and differences between the major types of compensation including salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and lifestyle spending accounts so you can choose what fits best with your business.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"COMPT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ComptHQ\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-09T11:43:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-21T19:45:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Bedrick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@compthq\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@compthq\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Bedrick\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sarah Bedrick\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/person\/a713ae2ba1b2275db39fd6268d788b7b\"},\"headline\":\"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-09T11:43:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T19:45:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\"},\"wordCount\":1001,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Compensation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\",\"name\":\"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-09T11:43:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T19:45:50+00:00\",\"description\":\"This page provides definitions and differences between the major types of compensation including salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and lifestyle spending accounts so you can choose what fits best with your business.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":480,\"caption\":\"definitions of lifestyle benefits, copmensation and more\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Compensation\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/category\/compensation\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/\",\"name\":\"COMPT\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#organization\",\"name\":\"COMPT\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Compt_Logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Compt_Logo.svg\",\"width\":133,\"height\":40,\"caption\":\"COMPT\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ComptHQ\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/compthq\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/compt\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCEAwTCFBR0FVK9uZmg728AA\/featured\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/person\/a713ae2ba1b2275db39fd6268d788b7b\",\"name\":\"Sarah Bedrick\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3dbdd1657b8a5d00d729bc69555be8793c2b0eb078654cd0fd6968ebe3ea5f5a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3dbdd1657b8a5d00d729bc69555be8793c2b0eb078654cd0fd6968ebe3ea5f5a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sarah Bedrick\"},\"description\":\"Sarah Bedrick is the VP of Marketing at Compt. Prior to being cofounder of Compt, she worked at HubSpot for 6+ years, where she helped to build, scale, and grow the HubSpot Academy division. She is obsessed with understanding what makes a company culture great, being a career and life coach to people in tech, and creating cherished memories with her husband and two young kids.\",\"jobTitle\":\"VP of Marketing\",\"worksFor\":\"COMPT\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/author\/sarah-bedrick\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts","description":"This page provides definitions and differences between the major types of compensation including salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and lifestyle spending accounts so you can choose what fits best with your business.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts","og_description":"This page provides definitions and differences between the major types of compensation including salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and lifestyle spending accounts so you can choose what fits best with your business.","og_url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/","og_site_name":"COMPT","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ComptHQ\/","article_published_time":"2020-02-09T11:43:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-21T19:45:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Sarah Bedrick","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@compthq","twitter_site":"@compthq","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Bedrick","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/"},"author":{"name":"Sarah Bedrick","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/person\/a713ae2ba1b2275db39fd6268d788b7b"},"headline":"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts","datePublished":"2020-02-09T11:43:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T19:45:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/"},"wordCount":1001,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp","articleSection":["Compensation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/","url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/","name":"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp","datePublished":"2020-02-09T11:43:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T19:45:50+00:00","description":"This page provides definitions and differences between the major types of compensation including salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and lifestyle spending accounts so you can choose what fits best with your business.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/definitions-differences-blog-thumbnail.webp","width":800,"height":480,"caption":"definitions of lifestyle benefits, copmensation and more"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/definitions-differences-compensation-salary-benefits-perks\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/compt.io\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Compensation","item":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/category\/compensation\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Definitions &amp; Differences between Compensation, Salary, Employee Benefits, Perks, Perk Stipends, &amp; Lifestyle Spending Accounts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#website","url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/","name":"COMPT","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/compt.io\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#organization","name":"COMPT","url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Compt_Logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Compt_Logo.svg","width":133,"height":40,"caption":"COMPT"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ComptHQ\/","https:\/\/x.com\/compthq","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/compt\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCEAwTCFBR0FVK9uZmg728AA\/featured"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/person\/a713ae2ba1b2275db39fd6268d788b7b","name":"Sarah Bedrick","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/compt.io\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3dbdd1657b8a5d00d729bc69555be8793c2b0eb078654cd0fd6968ebe3ea5f5a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3dbdd1657b8a5d00d729bc69555be8793c2b0eb078654cd0fd6968ebe3ea5f5a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sarah Bedrick"},"description":"Sarah Bedrick is the VP of Marketing at Compt. Prior to being cofounder of Compt, she worked at HubSpot for 6+ years, where she helped to build, scale, and grow the HubSpot Academy division. She is obsessed with understanding what makes a company culture great, being a career and life coach to people in tech, and creating cherished memories with her husband and two young kids.","jobTitle":"VP of Marketing","worksFor":"COMPT","url":"https:\/\/compt.io\/blog\/author\/sarah-bedrick\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8136"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15895,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8136\/revisions\/15895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compt.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}