Report on Salary Surveys

Two studies predict pay increases of 3.7 percent for 2009, but there is the possibility that top-performing individuals may receive more. One survey, the 2008/2009 US Compensation Planning Survey from Mercer, reports that U.S. employers plan to award average pay increases of 3.7 percent in 2009, compared to 3.8 percent in 2008. Raises are higher, however, for the most productive employees and high-performing industries regardless of the current economic environment.