Just about everybody is looking for jobs with higher salaries these days. Some workers are launching side hustles for extra pay, others are jumping ship. But most are job hugging because job hoppers no longer get the big salary bump. Eva Chan, career expert at Resume Genius, says getting certified is one of the most accessible ways to advance your career without a big financial burden, and it opens doors for people who don’t have a four-year degree. A new analysis reveals the tech certifications that have the biggest salary boosts with average pay increases of $3,000 to $8,800 within a year of completion. READ MORE
Salary Payments in Stablecoins: The New Normal for Freelancers?
In the fast-paced world of freelancing, being paid in stablecoins is becoming more common. Now, more than 90% of crypto salary transactions are done in stablecoins. The immediate access to earnings and the protection against inflation are just two of the reasons people are leaning into this method of payment. This article will explore how stablecoin salaries are changing the game for freelancers.
Why Stablecoins?
Stablecoins, as you might know, are cryptocurrencies that keep their value by being pegged to assets, usually fiat currencies like the US dollar. This makes them more attractive to freelancers who face the volatility of traditional cryptocurrencies. The instant payment methods allow for almost immediate access to earnings. For those in countries facing inflation, stablecoins offer a way to protect purchasing power. Plus, they tend to be cheaper than using traditional banking services. READ MORE
Salary and Occupation
The median salary for full-time workers in the United States was $49,500, based on estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. However, salaries vary by occupation. The charts below shows the spread. READ MORE
DOL Sides with Morgan Stanley in Deferred Compensation Dispute
The U.S. Department of Labor has sided with Morgan Stanley and several FINRA arbitration decisions in a dispute over whether its deferred compensation program should be treated like a pension or a bonus and, if the latter, not be paid if a financial advisor leaves before the end of its vesting period.
In an opinion issued Tuesday, the DOL said Morgan Stanley’s deferred incentive compensation program “appears to be a bonus program,” so it qualifies for exemption under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and is not considered an “employee pension benefit plan.” The regulator reviewed the compensation program on Morgan Stanley’s request. READ MORE
Tesla: From Bear To Believer - A Deep Dive Into The $1T Compensation Plan
In my last article on Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), I turned bearish on the company, citing the massive deterioration in EV sales, coupled with a painfully slow revenue timeline from the Robotaxi and Optimus ventures, as the main pillars for my thesis. Furthermore, I noticed shares at an inflection point (see the chart from my previous article below), so I decided to sell my shares and move on, as I didn't see anything that could revive the sentiment. READ MORE
Larry Ellison overtakes Elon Musk as world's richest person
Larry Ellison has overtaken Elon Musk as the world’s richest person after shares in his software giant Oracle soared on Wednesday.
Ellison’s fortune was up $101 billion mid-morning after the company’s revenue forecasts for the next five years caused its market value to rise 44% to more than $959 billion. READ MORE
The ‘Perfect Salary’ Isn’t Enough To Buy a Home—Except in 2 States
Americans say they would be happy earning $74,000 a year on average, according to a new survey by Talker Research. But in today’s housing market, that “perfect salary” buys a median-priced home in just two states, according to an analysis of the report by Realtor.com®.
Even doubling that ideal salary to $148,000 wouldn’t buy you a house in every state, yet only 19% of survey respondents said they would need six figures to live comfortably. READ MORE
Despite Economic Jitters, Employers Plan to Dole Out 3.5% Raises Next Year
The labor market may be cooling, but employers are still planning on giving out above-average raises next year.
Businesses say they’re increasing their salary budgets by about 3.5% in 2026, according to several recent reports. That’s a slight uptick from the pre-pandemic norm of 3%. READ MORE
The Salary Needed To Afford California’s Largest Cities
Living in California’s biggest cities comes at a steep price — especially if comfort is the goal.
You’ll find 15 of the nation’s 75 most populous cities in the Golden State. Of those 15, even the least expensive requires an annual salary of more than $100,000 to earn a comfortable living. READ MORE
Battles over CEO pay across the globe
Tesla's board has proposed a historic $1 trillion compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk, contingent on meeting ambitious performance milestones that emphasizes his role in transforming the company into a tech leader.
Earlier this year, Tesla (TSLA.O)
, opens new tabgranted CEO Elon Musk 96 million new shares valued at about $29 billion, reinforcing his leadership as he contends with a court ruling that voided his original, shareholder-disputed compensation package. READ MORE
NQDC Plans Remain Valuable Part of Executive Compensation
As a growing number of executives work well past traditional retirement age, 68% of surveyed benefits decisionmakers said they have offered nonqualified deferred compensation plans to retain executives, according to a recent report from retirement plan consultancy NFP Corp.
NFP, whose wealth business was recently acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners, found that 85% of surveyed executives said they could not afford to lose their best talent, and more than 90% of respondents said comprehensive executive benefits retain and attract talent. However, 20% of executives surveyed said economic uncertainty would impact the amount or kind of executive benefits that they offer. READ MORE
Congress targets college sports 'Wild West' as NIL compensation fight heats up
Some epic drama in the first two weeks of the college football season.
The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes shut down the then-No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns at the goal line three times. Ohio State quickly curbed talk about the greatness of Texas quarterback Arch Manning. The Buckeyes are now the No. 1 team in the country. Especially after they shellacked Grambling State 70-0 in Week 2.
Florida State whipped Alabama. And we haven’t even talked about Bill Belichick’s coaching debut at North Carolina. READ MORE
Tesla proposes Elon Musk pay package that could make him the world’s first trillionaire
Elon Musk, already the world’s richest person, could become the first trillionaire after the Tesla board unveiled a massive new pay package for its CEO to keep his focus on the troubled EV maker.
The package would grant him additional shares of Tesla stock if the company is able to grow far beyond its current value, with a market capitalization far greater than any company has ever approached. Musk’s previous pay package, which added significantly to his massive wealth, also laid out ambitious growth plans that once appeared to be a reach – but which Tesla proved able to reach easily. READ MORE
Disclosing CEO-to-worker pay ratios made employees happier with their compensation
When pay transparency laws started going into effect about five years ago, employers had to decide what level of transparency was right for their organizations.
A common fear was that disclosing too much information—beyond the stated requirements of publishing expected salary ranges for open roles—could prompt employees to become dissatisfied with their pay, and lose motivation in their jobs. READ MORE
Think all your overtime pay will be tax free? Think again
Many Americans who work overtime will get a break on their taxes for the next few years — but it may not be as hefty as they think.
Congressional Republicans sought to fulfill President Donald Trump’s “no tax on overtime” campaign promise in their One Big, Beautiful Bill, which Trump signed into law in July. But the measure doesn’t actually exempt all overtime pay from federal income taxes. READ MORE
Investment, Not Regulation, Raises Wages
Why do wages for some jobs go up while others go down? Why do some jobs pay a lot more than others?
The barstool answers you get to those questions tend to emphasize factors such as how difficult, dangerous, or important a job is, how much education is necessary, etc. You tend to get moralistic answers in a lot of cases, answers that attempt to explain why highly paid people deserve to be highly paid.
But none of those answers is true. READ MORE
McDonald's CEO says restaurants that rely on tips are 'getting the customer to pay' for their employees
The CEO of McDonald's says restaurants that rely on tips are letting diners pick up the bill when it comes to paying their employees.
Speaking on CNBC Tuesday morning, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski was asked how the fast-food chain would be affected by the "no tax on tips" provision of the Big Beautiful Bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July. READ MORE
9 Ways to Command a Six-Figure Salary Without a Bachelor’s
Many Americans assume a bachelor’s degree is the only way to reach a six-figure salary, but that is no longer true.
According to a LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, 5.7 million full-time, year-round workers without a four-year degree earned $100,000 or more in 2023. That equals 9.1% of all non-degree workers. READ MORE
Home Depot salaries revealed: How much tech jobs at the home improvement chain pay
For a business that sells a lot of lumber, paint, and other building supplies, Home Depot is increasingly focused on tech.
In addition to being the largest home improvement chain in the world, the orange-aproned retailer relies on a large and growing tech workforce to power its effort to put more digital tools in the hands of employees and its DIY and pro customers. READ MORE
Compensation in the C-suite
How is the rate of pay for CEOs determined? That is the complex and multimillion-dollar question—and one that WMU Assistant Professor of Finance Dr. Edward Kim researches.
“Corporations invest significant resources in structuring CEO compensation to ensure executives act in ways that maximize shareholder value,” says Kim. “A well-designed compensation package can incentivize performance and long-term value creation. While CEO pay is formally determined by the board of directors, it results from nuanced negotiations between the executive and the board. Whether CEOs ultimately set their own pay or if competitive market forces drive compensation levels remains an open question in research.” READ MORE