Salaries are growing faster than hourly wages. Here's why that matters.

Salaried workers’ pay growth has outpaced gains among hourly earners in the past year, with advertised wages declining outright among hourly workers in IT, software development, and other STEM fields, according to a new analysis from the Indeed Hiring Lab.

The analysis drew on pay information across millions of job postings from the beginning of 2025 through early 2026, finding that posted wages for salaried roles grew 2.9% while advertised pay for their hourly counterparts rose only 1.7%. READ MORE

Connecticut Expands Pay Transparency Requirements

Connecticut’s enactment of H.B. 5003 reflects a continuing nationwide trend toward greater pay transparency and enhanced employee protections concerning compensation. While building on the state’s existing statutory framework, the amendments materially expand both the scope and timing of employer disclosure obligations, particularly in the recruiting and hiring context.

These changes are likely to have significant operational implications for employers, particularly those with multistate workforces, as Connecticut’s requirements now more closely align with (and in some respects expand upon) similar laws in jurisdictions such as New York and New Jersey. READ MORE

Sergey Brin spends $500K to fight tax targeting companies with high-paid executives

Google co-founder Sergey Brin is continuing his foray into California politics with a newly reported donation to a group fighting against a proposed tax in San Francisco that would hit companies with high-paid executives in the tech hub.

A political contribution filing submitted on Wednesday revealed that Brin donated $500,000 to a group that's opposing San Francisco Measure D, which will appear on voters' ballots on June 2. READ MORE

25 high-paying jobs that are projected to grow a lot over the next decade

Software developers, who typically earn high pay, will likely still be needed in the era of artificial intelligence.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics published new median annual wage data for May 2025, showing how much hundreds of occupations typically pay. Business Insider used these estimates with projected employment changes from 2024 to 2034, previously released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to develop a ranking of fast-growing, high-paying jobs. READ MORE

California initiative to limit compensation for healthcare executives qualifies for the ballot

A California ballot initiative to establish a $450,000 compensation limit for healthcare executives qualified for the 2026 ballot on May 12. The limit would be increased by 3.5% or the annual rate of change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (U.S. CPI-W), whichever is lower. The initiative would apply to executives and managers of private hospitals, private physician groups, and public hospitals owned by special districts, and exclude county-operated hospitals and physician groups with fewer than 25 employees. The limit would be effective for the 2027 calendar year. READ MORE

What an inflation surge means for American workers’ jobs and salaries

American workers are about to feel the squeeze of the sharpest inflation surge in years — and human resources leaders may be the ones left managing the fallout.

The Survey of Professional Forecasters, a blue-ribbon panel polled quarterly by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, now projects consumer price inflation will reach 6% in the second quarter — more than double its estimate of 2.7% just three months ago. The dramatic revision follows a string of troubling economic data, including a producer price index rate of 6% in April, the highest since December 2022, and headline consumer prices running at a 3.8% annual rate, the steepest increase in nearly three years. READ MORE

The salary you need to live comfortably in 100 US cities

To truly understand the context of a household’s income, it must be compared to local costs and long-term goals, which both may fluctuate over time. For most people, the same pillars will make up the biggest nonnegotiables in their budget. These include basic necessities like housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation, and likely some discretionary spending on hobbies, activities, and other enrichment. In an attempt to secure this lifestyle for the future, many households aim to save some of their income for emergencies, investments, retirement, education, and other long-term goals. A common budgeting technique that encapsulates these three pillars is called the 50/30/20 rule: 50% of your post-tax income goes to needs, 30% to your wants, and 20% gets set aside for the future. READ MORE

Workers want $33K more. Employers can’t match it

Navigating heightened employee expectations of salary is certainly not a new HR challenge—but it could be one that is growing increasingly thorny and consequential.

A recent study finds that, amid employees and employers both facing rising costs, the gap between what the workforce expects in terms of salary and what organizations can realistically pay is wide. The report from JobLeads analyzed more than 800,000 job postings and salary expectation data from 245,000 candidates, finding that, globally, candidates expect $10,411 more than employers pay. The U.S. has the biggest gap of all countries studied: $33,332. READ MORE

CEOs got millions after boards ‘neutralized’ the impact of tariffs. Some won’t say what it was worth

Christopher Calio, CEO of RTX, collected $27.7 million in compensation last year. That was his total after the $241.5 billion aerospace and defense giant’s board decided the trade war wouldn’t touch his bonus. 

At its January 2025 board meeting, the compensation committee of RTX, formerly Raytheon, pre-authorized the removal of tariff impacts on business metrics related to Calio’s pay months before President Trump announced a set of sweeping Liberation Day tariffs on April 2, 2025 that upended global supply chains. The RTX comp committee said that the tariff-cost impact “should be neutralized” for determining annual bonus payouts because the tariffs were “externally imposed, unpredictable and unrelated to operational execution.” READ MORE

Using global shocks as a laboratory to study executive pay

It is often claimed that executives reap rewards from favourable market tailwinds they did nothing to create. This column uses two decades of Danish data to argue that this ‘pay for luck’ critique requires more nuance. While CEOs do receive higher pay when global conditions are favourable, the authors find that boards reward the effort required to capitalise on those favourable conditions as well as to mitigate losses in the face of negative shocks. The findings suggest that globalisation doesn't just increase pay – it fundamentally changes why and how CEOs are compensated. READ MORE

Amazon analyst feels 'trapped' after tripled salary

A post by a 26‑year‑old Amazon analyst on professional networking platform Grapevine has triggered a wide discussion around career growth, burnout, and the invisible pressures that come with higher pay, after the employee said tripling their salary had made life feel “worse”, not better.

In the post, the analyst wrote that despite earning more than anticipated and switching jobs to accelerate growth, the demands of work and family responsibilities had left him feeling “completely trapped”. READ MORE

10 high-paying careers where women make up the majority of workers—most pay more than $100,000

While progress toward gender parity remains slow, several career paths offer above-average representation of women as well as high pay, according to a report from Resume Genius published Mar. 3.

Resume Genius, an online career platform and resume builder, identified the top 10 careers with high median salaries and projected job growth in which women make up 50% or more of workers, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. READ MORE

Is it really enough? The salary most Americans believe is needed to stop worrying about money

In a nation where living expenses keep rising and savings rates remain stubbornly low, Americans are increasingly being asked a simple yet revealing question: How much income would you need to stop worrying about money?

Recent surveys and financial research show that, despite wide differences in lifestyle and location, many Americans believe there's a specific salary threshold that would put them at ease when it comes to their finances. READ MORE

The Future of Payroll: How Crypto and Stablecoins Are Changing Salaries

Crypto is not just a buzzword anymore; it's changing how we think about everything, even salaries. More startups are looking at crypto payroll solutions, but the volatility of currencies like Solana makes you wonder if this is a good idea. This post is about how stablecoins are stepping in to help create a more stable payroll system, where employees aren't left hanging when prices go haywire. READ MORE

How Does Your Salary Compare to Others in Your Industry? Find Out Where You Stand

Many people think their pay is “average,” but when you stack your salary next to people with a similar title, even in other industries, you might be in for a surprise.

Most employers set salaries based on industry trends, job title, region, and the specific skills needed. Knowing exactly where you stand, and why, is the first step to boosting your pay. Let’s see what the numbers say in 2025. READ MORE

For most people, a bigger salary can make you happier—just not at your job

Money really can buy you happiness — just not at the office, finds new Wharton research.

That’s specifically true for U.S. adults earning up to $200,000 per year, according to an analysis published Thursday by Matt Killingsworth, a senior fellow at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Among that demographic, higher earners are happier in their day-to-day lives, but they’re not any happier at work than people with lower incomes, the analysis says. READ MORE

Elon Musk won’t get his $55 billion pay package after all

Elon Musk isn’t going to get that $55 billion pay package after all, a Delaware Chancery Court judge has ruled.

Tesla shareholders approved the package in 2018, which gave Musk incentive to hit specific milestones, including a market valuation of $650 billion, which was more than 10 times the valuation at the time. The trial hinged on a specific question: did Musk mislead the shareholders when he gave them the plan? READ MORE