Blog Article
Salary Benchmarking Compensation the Right Way
HUMAN RESOURCES SUPPORT
The Survey Group
Your one source for compensation and benefits data, human resources information, and consulting services.
Only 32% of workers feel like they’re paid fairly, according to a Gartner survey.
To better understand where their compensation programs stack against the market, employers have turned to third-party data, given the anti-trust laws & other local laws that prohibit them from asking about salary ranges/history.
But not all third-party data is created equally.
That's why hundreds of New England-based organizations have partnered with The Survey Group (TSG) to access reliable and relevant compensation, benefits, and human resources data, empowering HR professionals, hiring managers, and executives to ensure their programs remain competitive in the marketplace.
What's Included in The Survey Group Membership?
Our cost-effective membership service is designed to help employers attract and retain top talent by providing them with the valuable tools and research they need to maintain a competitive advantage.
Our member-based surveys deliver the most comprehensive compensation and benefits data in New England. We collect data directly from human resources or finance professionals in member organizations, include a participant listing with each survey, and ensure all data is aggregated so that no individual organization can be identified.
Let our seasoned compensation practitioners help you solve your human resources challenges.
Using our extensive and comprehensive compensation data and resources, we can market price a job based on your industry, company size and location.
Our professional staff is available to provide you with quick answers to your questions regarding competitive market rates, salary budget, policies and procedures, and other best practices through our convenient hotline service. In most cases, a TSG consultant will respond to your request within two business days. This includes up to 4 hotline market reports per month.
Members hiring for an HR or payroll position can amplify the reach of their job postings by having our team share them on LinkedIn, increasing visibility amongst our dedicated HR audience.
In addition to the compensation and HR surveys published by TSG, the library also includes a variety of leading third-party compensation surveys, as well as laptops and internet access, so members can easily and efficiently collect and record the data they need. Our consultants are available onsite to answer your HR-related questions and to help locate specific data.
Our professional development seminars, held throughout the year, keep you updated and informed on a wide range of topics to meet the needs of all levels of HR professionals. Intermediate and advanced level courses complement introductory classes.
PREVAILING WAGE SERVICES
The Survey Group (TSG) offers prevailing wage reports to support US H-1B visa applications and permanent labor certifications.
Attorneys across the country provide continuous feedback that the prevailing wage reports provided by our team have been accepted by the federal and state governments at a very high rate.
"When I first started working in higher education, we engaged The Survey Group to help us in a comprehensive compensation study which included the design and implementation of grades and ranges for all of our professional positions. The consultants I have been working with are all responsive and knowledgeable. While we sent requests for proposals to national firms, this local company demonstrated their expertise and were available to meet with us on a regular basis. I am very pleased with their work and highly recommend them."
- K.C., Executive Director, Compensation & Benefits
Testimonials are based on the unique experiences from current clients of Digital Insurance LLC and are not representative of all client experiences.No compensation was provided for their time. OneDigital® is a registered trademark of Digital Insurance LLC in the United States. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners. OneDigital and this entity are separate and unaffiliated companies.
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Navigating your compensation programs can be difficult – but luckily, you’re not alone.
The membership fee is $3,200 per year.
The Survey Group appreciates the use of free online and AI-generated compensation tools, as they can provide quick insights, help identify market trends, facilitate scenario modeling, and offer crowdsourced perspectives. However, these free tools are best used as a complement, not a replacement, for validated market surveys when accuracy and compliance are at stake. Especially with pay transparency requirements that demand “reasonable and good faith” estimates, it’s critical that organizations rely on validated sources and apply a consistent process for benchmarking our jobs.
- Local Relevance: The Survey Group’s Benchmark Compensation Survey is based on data submitted by New England employers. AI models often aggregate national or global data, or apply generic geographic adjusters, which can distort compensation expectations in specific markets - think Lowell vs. Boston, for example.
- Consulting with Validated Data: In addition to our own survey, we consult with surveys in our library that meet antitrust regulations and are recognized as leading sources by compensation professionals.
- Crowdsourced Data – AI often relies on crowdsourced data, which typically refers to data collected from employees. While this data may offer some limited insights, it has been determined that crowdsourced data is often inflated and generally less reliable than employer-reported data or other validated sources.
- Limiting Compliance Risk: Many states, like Massachusetts, require good-faith estimates of pay ranges. Using unverifiable AI data could expose the company to legal scrutiny.
As the number of states that have implemented pay transparency laws continues to grow, more companies are faced with the challenge of determining the appropriate salary range to include in their job postings. Employers looking to fill those open positions are finding out the hard way that their first offer may be the only one they get to make, as it is often below market, and the candidate moves on to another opportunity. More importantly, we are beginning to see the consequences of enforcement actions. Any multistate employer that hasn’t already been affected by pay transparency legislation is likely to encounter it in the near future.
Compensation strategies are being reshaped by pay transparency laws, AI-driven analytics, and the shift toward skills-based, flexible pay models. Organizations are moving beyond salary alone to focus on total rewards and employee experience, using verified data and technology to ensure fairness, equity, and performance alignment. The companies that adapt fastest will strengthen trust, retention, and their ability to compete for top talent in a tightening labor market.
"Working with The Survey Group at OneDigital has been an excellent experience. They are highly responsive, easy to partner with, and provide timely access to relevant, actionable market data. Their guidance has been especially valuable in navigating complex, multi-state compensation challenges with clarity and confidence."
- Kate B., Senior VP, People, Convenient MD
Testimonials are based on the unique experiences from current clients of Digital Insurance LLC and are not representative of all client experiences. No compensation was provided for their time. OneDigital® is a registered trademark of Digital Insurance LLC in the United States. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners. OneDigital and this entity are separate and unaffiliated companies.