Compensation Planning

Explore compensation planning research, guides, webinars and more

Comp Quick Guide: Managing Pay Compression

Compression is the result of numerous issues and typically flares up in times of high economic uncertainty. In this quick guide, you’ll find the data, professional perspective, and the five actions to help assess and manage pay compression.

Expert Brief

Empowering People Managers to Talk About Pay

Read about why and how organizations use customized compensation training for mangers to support pay communication and transparency.

Expert Brief

Lessons in Pay Transparency From the Public Sector

This expert brief provides insights and advice from three public sector comp and HR pros who have experienced the benefits and opportunities of managing pay transparency for their public organizations.

Quick Guide

Comp Quick Guide Pay adjustments after M&A

Read about how to effectively manage employee compensation before, during, and after a merger to positively impact your ability to retain and engage talent.

Expert Brief

Compensation planning stakeholder checklist 2024

This checklist can serve as a quick guide regarding stakeholder perspectives to consider and address during the compensation planning process.

What base pay increase are most organizations planning for 2026, and how does that compare to last year?

3.5% is the median base pay increase planned for 2026, which is no change from actual pay increases given in 2025.

How are organizations deciding between performance-based pay increases and across-the-board raises?

48% of organizations give pay increases based on performance, but over 40% are either using or considering across-the-board or peanut butter pay increases.

How confident are organizations that their planned pay increases are competitive?

50% of non-Payscale customer organizations say they are fairly or very confident that their pay increases are competitive, which rises to 70% for Payscale customers.