How far a $100,000 salary goes after taxes in every U.S. state

Earning a six-figure salary is a milestone for many workers — but take-home pay can vary by thousands of dollars depending on where you live.

A recent GOBankingRates analysis calculated the annual after-tax income for a single filer earning $100,000 and claiming the standard deduction in every U.S. state. Oregon had the highest tax burden, reducing annual take-home pay to about $70,500. READ MORE

Are You Prepared for Pay Transparency? Most Aren’t.

More than 60 million U.S. workers are now covered by pay transparency laws across 12 states, with another dozen state laws set to take effect later this year. Simultaneously, the European Union (EU) Pay Transparency Directive is driving pay transparency pressure for organizations inside and outside of Europe. (The latter directive applies not only to employers headquartered in the EU but also those with any employees there, with reporting required for businesses with 100 or more payrolled workers.)

With that as the setup, consider that only 19% of organizations surveyed globally consider themselves ready for pay transparency, according to recent data from professional services firm AonOpen in a new tab. READ MORE

CEO Compensation Today: Is It Broken?

We sat down on 20VC + SaaStr podcast with HubSpot co-founder and former CEO Brian Halligan for an unfiltered discussion about CEO compensation. What emerged was a masterclass in why our current approach is fundamentally broken — and what forward-thinking companies are doing differently.

The conversation revealed insights that most compensation committees would rather not discuss publicly. But for companies serious about aligning leadership incentives with exponential growth, these uncomfortable truths are essential. READ MORE

The X-Factor In Sales: How World-Class Compensation Programs Drive Results

Effective leaders are always on the hunt for strategic advantages that can help hone their organization’s competitive edge. This “X-factor” may take a variety of shapes (e.g., a unique product or service, a novel execution of a familiar concept, etc.), but what’s most likely to be uniquely advantageous for each organization is its people.

This may be surprising, given the proliferation and power of advanced technology like AI. But AI investments have yet to yield significant returns across the board. People remain the most valuable asset for achieving differentiated results. Unleashing the power of teams’ unique minds and voices requires thoughtful leadership, a sound strategy and effective motivation—and when it comes to people management, perhaps no greater motivation exists than compensation. READ MORE

Eric Adams, Embracing Veto Power, Says No to Raises for Instacart Workers

In his nearly four years as mayor of New York City, Eric Adams has rarely vetoed bills passed by the City Council. But as he ramps up his re-election campaign, he has vetoed four bills in quick succession, arguing that the measures would hurt the economy and public safety.

Mr. Adams, a Democrat who is running as an independent and is trailing in polls, has received a wave of criticism from members of his party over the vetoes, especially for his opposition to bills that would help grocery delivery workers and unlicensed street vendors. READ MORE

Here’s how the proposed new wage-based selection process may work

The H-1B visa rules for hiring foreign workers in US firms are expected to undergo significant changes in the near future. The US is expected to introduce a new wage-based system to reform the H-1B selection process.

The plan of the New Wage-Based System is to establish a wage-based allocation process and choose H-1B candidates based on their earnings; the higher the compensation paid by the US firm, the better the chances of obtaining an H-1B visa. READ MORE

A Delaware Court Wrongly Stripped Billions from Elon Musk

In 2018, when the company’s market capitalization was about $45 billion, Tesla shareholders approved a new compensation package for Elon Musk. By any measure, the package was extraordinary. It came in 12 tranches, each equal to 1 percent of the company’s outstanding common stock. To receive his payments, Musk had to boost Tesla’s market cap by $50 billion for each installment—more than the market capitalization of General Motors at the time. Thus, to earn all 12 tranches, Musk, who already owned about 22 percent of the company’s shares, needed to grow Tesla’s value from $45 billion to $645 billion. If he did that, he would receive stock in the company worth about $56 billion—the largest potential compensation package in American history, but less than 10 percent of the potential $600 billion gain to shareholders. READ MORE

How Stablecoin Salaries Can Change Employee Compensation

In a time where inflation eats away at our wallets, stablecoin salaries seem like a shining light for those of us hoping for some financial certainty. These digital coins, tied to stable assets, could be just what we need to not only keep our wages intact but also make payroll smoother. So let's chat about how stablecoin salaries can shift the way we think about employee pay, what advantages they bring to both sides, and the bumps we might hit along the way. READ MORE

Want A Team That Thinks Like Owners? Variable Compensation Is The Answer

I recently tied the bonus of our VP of engineering to our ARR target. Initially, he said I was insane. But six months later, he thanked me. The distinct mindset shift — from owning a function to owning the outcome — changed everything.

Startups are under more pressure than ever to hit revenue milestones with leaner teams. Yet compensation models don’t always reflect this. It’s common for sales teams to chase bonuses while the rest of the organization operates on fixed salaries, detached from the company’s growth. That’s a missed opportunity. READ MORE

Why Gratitude In The Workplace Is Crucial—And Part Of Compensation

Gratitude is not just transactional reinforcement, it’s a connection between people. It affirms belonging, value, and shared purpose. Gratitude also humanizes work, affirming not just what someone did, but who they are and where they belong. It affirms alignment, partnership, and dignity. That is the intersection of strategy and psychology—a space too often overlooked in leadership writing. READ MORE

One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Qualified Overtime Compensation Deduction

The Qualified Overtime Compensation (QOC) deduction rules—codified in new Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 225—provide a potential federal income tax deduction of $12,500 per year for qualifying taxpayers who file a Form 1040 individual income tax return under the “single” filing status, while qualifying taxpayers who file a Form 1040 individual income tax return under the “married-filing-jointly” status may be able to claim a maximum QOC deduction of $25,000 per year. READ MORE

Feeling underpaid at work? Here's how to navigate salary frustration in 2025.

Many American workers still feel they’re not paid what they’re worth, despite modest improvements in compensation trends in 2025. According to new data from HR tech company Energage, just 69% of employees feel their pay is fair — making pay one of the least satisfying parts of the workplace experience.

What’s behind the frustration? Economic pressures like inflation and rising costs are eroding perceived gains. “Salaries aren’t keeping up with inflation,” says Sam DeMase, a career expert at ZipRecruiter. “While workers may feel like they’re earning more due to pay increases, their purchasing power remains stagnant.” READ MORE