Pay decisions for 2027 are being made now, and too many rest on guesswork about what other organizations are doing. Payscale’s 2027 Compensation Best Practices Survey helps change that. It’s open to compensation professionals, HR leaders, and business owners, and every answer feeds the Compensation Best Practices Report (CBPR), the most comprehensive report on compensation management.
Why your input matters this year
Each year, Payscale collects responses from thousands of people who oversee pay inside their organizations, and those answers become the flagship 2027 CBPR — with analysis and trends you won’t find anywhere else.
This year’s survey closes on December 11, 2026, earlier than past surveys, so Payscale can release the report faster and get the findings into your planning cycle while they still matter.
What the survey covers
The survey spans 12 topic areas:
- About you and your organization
- Labor market and priorities
- Compensation planning
- Compensation strategy
- Compensation preparedness
- Artificial intelligence
- Compensation technology
- Salary data and benchmarking
- Job management
- Pay transparency
- Pay equity
- Total rewards
Some of these areas barely showed up in compensation surveys a few years ago. Teams are now being asked to use AI tools for benchmarking and reporting, and pay transparency requirements keep changing. Those topics sit right next to pay equity and total rewards, because a decision in one area usually affects the others.
Follow these three steps for successful completion
- Be sure to complete the entire survey. The report depends on complete answers, and only participants who finish are eligible for the raffle. Your progress is saved, so you can return any time before the survey closes, using the same link and browser.
- Don’t forget to add your email to receive the report. The contact fields are optional. If you provide your email, Payscale will notify you when the 2027 CBPR is available. Your identity and answers stay confidential.
- Enter the raffle. Participants who complete the survey can enter a drawing for one of several $200 gift cards. Winners are notified by email.
Here are the most common questions about the survey
What is a compensation survey?A compensation survey collects pay data and practices from many organizations so you can compare your own pay decisions against the market. The CBPR goes beyond pay rates to cover the practices behind them, including how organizations plan increases, use data, and handle transparency.
Who should take the Compensation Best Practices Survey?Anyone who oversees compensation within an organization is invited, whether you’re a compensation professional, an HR leader, or a business owner.
When does the 2027 survey close?The survey closes December 11, 2026.
Will I be notified when the report is available?Yes, if you add your email in the optional contact section.
Your answers shape the 2027 CBPR
Compensation decisions for 2027 are made now. Your answers show what’s working across organizations like yours and where the gaps are. Finish the survey by December 11, 2026, and you’ll help build the report that leaders can use in 2027 and beyond.
Want to help shape the 2027 CBPR? Take the 2027 Compensation Best Practices Survey before December 11, 2026.
