I am often asked about compensation data, salary and benefit surveys for the Southern Tier of NY and Northern Tier of PA.  The last comprehensive survey that was done for our surrounding communities was completed in 2012-2013, or earlier.  That specific survey was comprehensive and included a variety of industries, which provided significant information on comp and benefits.  The survey also included information on benefits and perks.  Where do we go now for information?  The compensation data is not readily available, graded and aged consistently.  Below are options to consider if you are looking for compensation and benefits data.

Below are my 6 thoughts on compensation data:

  1. Occupational Wages- NYS Department of Labor: The employment and wage data, by occupation is based on survey data which is collected from 51,000 businesses.  The current data is based on November 2014-May 2017 dates and adjusted for 2018 COLA’s.  This is a website I use, it is easy to navigate.  Pennsylvania Information Here.
  2. United States Department Bureau of Labor Statistics: The data was collected in May of 2017, with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas throughout New York.  Not as easy to navigate as the NYS website, but there is valuable information on this site as well for benchmarking.
  3. Alternatives Federal Credit Union Living Wage Survey: “In 1994, Alternatives Credit Union did its first Living Wage Study to address internal staff concerns about compensation levels. Rather than looking at what competitors paid, or what the statutory minimum wage was, the Credit Union wanted to look at what it took to support a person above the poverty level. It has continued to update this study every two years.”[i]  The most recent living wage survey was successfully completed in 2021.  Mid 2023, we will see a new survey.  A great option to review living wage numbers for COLA’s.
  4. Other Website Options: Additional options include;payscale.com, indeed.com, salary.com, glassdoor.com.  These websites provide useful information, the concern is the accuracy of the information being posted.  Salary.com and Payscale.com are comprehensive websites that breakdown information in an easy to search option.  Not every job title is listed, your organizations will need to compare and adjust accordingly. 
  5. Society of Human Resource Management Compensation Data Center: “SHRM, in collaboration with Willis Towers Watson, provides SHRM members with accurate and customized salary information for an entire spectrum of jobs ranging from top executive to entry-level positions through the SHRM Compensation Data Center.”  The website provides data on 204 individual job titles, with multiple reporting options available.  I have never purchased data from the website, but this is an additional option to obtain compensation data, in specific reporting formats.  A nice place to benchmark. 
  6. Industry Specific Salary Surveys: Industry specific data or survey information might also be available.  Manufacturing, nonprofit, healthcare, financial industry, etc.  This can be state, regional or national data.  In order to obtain the information, your organization will more than likely need to participate in the survey.  If you belong to any alliances, coalitions, chambers, etc. compensation data or survey participation might be available. 

Federal & New York State Antitrust (Collusion Laws)

Enacted in 1890, the Sherman Act is among our country’s most important and enduring pieces of economic legislation. The Sherman Act prohibits any agreement among competitors to fix prices, rig bids, or engage in other anticompetitive activity. Criminal prosecution of Sherman Act violations is the responsibility of the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice.  New York’s antitrust law, sections 340-347 of New York’s General Business Law, is known as the Donnelly Act and was enacted in 1899.  Through amendment and interpretation, the Donnelly Act has come to follow closely the federal Sherman Act, although it differs in some key aspects.  Pennsylvania has similar laws regarding collusion.[ii]

If your organization is interested in conducting a salary and/or benefits survey for the surrounding areas, my recommendation is to ensure a third-party is responsible for collecting and distributing the compiled data to all participants (consultant, comp specialist, retired HR professional, etc.).  A third-party that is neutral and not a participating member of the survey, this will ensure the data is not skewed or misinterpreted.  There should be enough participants to ensure the data provides relevant and comprehensive information.  If you have any questions regarding compensation and benefits surveys or salary data, seek guidance.  There is information available, we just need to understand accurate from fictitious or exaggerated information.

Note: Labor productivity based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data available as of April 12, 2022. Inflation projections WSJ Economic Forecasting Survey as of April 11, 2022. Further adjustments made to moderate the first-year increases and smooth out increases. 

Source: EPI analysis of S3062C and A7503B.

[i] https://www.alternatives.org/social-responsibility/impacting-our-community/living-wage-study.html

[ii] http://www.justice.gov/atr/price-fixing-bid-rigging-and-market-allocation-schemes

http://www.ag.ny.gov/antitrust/antitrust-enforcement

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Published by Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered CIPD

Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered MCIPD Lean Six Sigma Black Belt ABOUT: Matthew Burr has over 18-years of experience working in the human resources field, starting his career as an Industrial Relations Intern at Kennedy Valve Manufacturing to most recently founding and managing a human resource consulting company; Burr Consulting, LLC, Talentscape, LLC and Co-Owner of Labor Love, a Labor, and Employment Law poster printing company. Prior to founding the consulting firm, the majority of his career was heavy industry manufacturing and healthcare. He specializes in compliance auditing, training labor and employment law, conflict resolution, performance management, labor, and employment relations. Matthew has a generalist background in HR and operations, while providing strategic HR and operational solutions to his clients, focusing on small and medium sized organizations. He works as an Adjunct at Alfred State University, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Montgomery Community College. He successfully designed an HR Concentration in the business management major that aligned with both SHRM and HRCI certifications, providing opportunities for students to sit for both the SHRM-CP and aPHR certifications upon completion of the degree, concentration, and internship hours as an Assistant Professor of Management at Elmira College (Retired January 2022). Matthew is also the SHRM Certification Exam Instructor, with a current pass rate of 92% on the SHRM-SCP and 83% pass rate on the SHRM-CP and a combined 88% on both exams over a 7-year period of instructing the course (Elmira College, Collin College & The College of St. Rose). Matthew works as a trainer at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Corning Community College, Broome Community College, and HR Instructor for Certification Preparation for the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). He also acts as an On-Call Mediator and Factfinder through the Public Employment Relations Board in New York State, working with public sector employers and labor unions. PUBLICATIONS: Matthew has over 70+ publications including, American Bar Association (ABA) Experience Magazine, Cornell HR Review, Business Insider, New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), PayScale, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Expert 360 (in Australia). In early 2017, he published his first book, “$74,000 in 24 Months: How I killed my student loans (and you can too!),” proceeded by his second book, which was published in January 2021, “Slay the Student Loan Dragon: Tips and Tricks on How to Conquer the Student Loan Game” and his most recent book, “Unbox Your HR Career” in July 2023. VOLUNTEER WORK: Matthew is currently the New York State Society of Human Resource Management (NYSSHRM) District-Director. EDUCATION & TRAINING: Additional Training & Development:  SHRM Workplace Coaching and Mentoring Recertification Program, 2020  SHRM Foundation Employing Abilities @Work Certificate, 2020  SHRM Foundation Veterans at Work Certificate Program, 2018  Delta County Chamber of Commerce: Delta Force Leadership Program, 2013 FEATURED IN & ON: Matthew was featured on CNN Money, Fast Company, Fits Small Business, Fox News, Magnify Money, Monster.com, My Twin Tiers, Namely, Student Loan Hero, Smart Sheet and CEO Blog Nation, Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Burr Consulting, LLC Capabilities Statement General Information: Burr Consulting, LLC Owner: Matthew W. Burr Mission Statement: “Strategically Aligning HR as a Partner for the Success of Your Business” Contact Information: Burr Consulting, LLC What's New in HR Blog Talentscape, LLC Labor Love, LLC (Labor Posters) The HR Support Center The Upstate HR Podcast (607)227-4386 Matthew@Burrconsultingllc.com Facebook: Burr Consulting, LLC LinkedIn: Burr Consulting, LLC Twitter: @Burrconsulting Online Certification Verification: Credibly Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Number: 080776443 NAICS Codes: 541612, 923130, 54161, 541611, 541613, 611430, 541618, 561312, 561311 SIC: 8742, 8748, 9441, 8748001, 8748026 Our Services HR MANAGEMENT New Hire Orientation; Temporary HR Support; Recruiting and Application Tracking; HR Compliance (ADA, FMLA); Employee Handbook; Policy and Procedure; HRIS; HR Audits; Job Profile Design and Revision; HR Key Performance Indicators; EEO Reporting and Classification; State Unemployment Insurance Services TRAINING & TRAINING DEVELOPMENT Organizational Development; Employee Relations; Workplace Violence; Harassment & Sexual Harassment; Union Awareness; Managerial EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS Employee Relations Training; Conflict Resolution; Mentoring; Workplace Investigations; Labor Contract Costing; Mediation & Arbitration Prep; Fact-Finding; Workplace Investigations; Coaching & Counseling; Performance Reviews; Contingency Plan Development; Contingency Plan Training; State of New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)PERB Mediation and Fact-Finding Panels (Albany, NY covering the Elmira, NY Area) HIRING & RECRUITMENT Applicant Tracking Systems; Metric Development; Interview Training; Workforce Planning; Recruitment; Interviews; Job Offers; New Hire Process POLICY & COMPENSATION Group Plans – Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Group Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability; Retirement – 401(k), Profit Sharing, Roth; Workers Compensation; Total Compensation Design and Strategy; Deferred Compensation Plans; Salary Surveys; Reward Systems; Online Payroll; Customized Payroll Processing; Employee Self Service; Customized Reporting HR COMPLIANCE MATERIALS Burr Consulting, LLC is excited to announce a new partnership with Labor Love LLC, expanding our services to include HR printed materials compliant with industry standards.

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