Equity compensation is far more than a workplace perk for employees at firms offering this benefit. According to a new survey from Charles Schwab of stock plan participants, three-quarters (76%) say equity compensation is very important, and nearly half consider it a “must-have” benefit when evaluating a new job. Half view equity compensation as a critical tool to help achieve retirement goals, and many say it will help them build/increase wealth (38%), learn more about investing (37%), alleviate financial stress (32%), and boost employee morale (32%). Participants say company stock makes up about one-third of their overall investment portfolios on average. READ MORE
Incentivizing compliance and disincentivizing non-compliance
The relationship between employee compensation, recognition, and an organization's culture of compliance is increasingly under scrutiny. Regulators, stakeholders and boards are recognizing that how employees are paid, rewarded and potentially penalized can significantly influence behavior.
Effectively integrating compliance considerations into compensation structures requires an integrated approach, encompassing mechanisms to penalize wrongdoing and strategies to proactively incentivize ethical behavior and adherence to
compliance norms.
Effectively integrating compliance considerations into compensation structures requires an integrated approach, encompassing mechanisms to penalize wrongdoing and strategies to proactively incentivize ethical behavior and adherence to compliance norms. READ MORE
Employee compensation in 2026: What’s driving more cautious investments?
A recent survey has found that budgets for employee compensation in 2026 are projected to be about on par with where they were this year—and ongoing economic uncertainty could be keeping compensation investments flat.
Mercer’s U.S. Compensation Planning survey found that employers plan to boost their compensation budgets by 3.1% for merit increases and 3.5% for total salary increases for non-unionized employees. That’s consistent with 2025, as employers have delivered actual merit and total salary increases of 3.2% and 3.5%, respectively. READ MORE
Recognition’s Rise in the New World of Total Rewards
Deloitte’s 2018 High-Impact Total Rewards study revealed a great deal of room for improvement within the world of rewards. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) for rewards at the time was an abysmal negative-15, and rewards offerings were actually hurting organizations’ employment brand. Recognition, in particular, was largely untapped. It’s human nature to seek acknowledgement for a job well done, but the status quo for recognition programs rarely rose above common and routine activities like service anniversaries. Only 2% of surveyed organizations considered recognition to be a competitive differentiator, and 31% did not consider recognition to be a differentiator at all. READ MORE
Salary by Education Level in the United States
In the U.S., the connection between education and income is stark, with higher education leading to higher median earnings consistently.
This visualization highlights how median annual salaries change at each successive level of educational attainment in the United States, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2024. READ MORE
Americans value college less than ever, but here’s what salary data says
Americans’ belief in the necessity of a college degree has dropped sharply over the past decade. Only about one in three U.S. adults now say higher education is "very important," down from three-quarters in 2010, according to a new Gallup poll.
Yet Census Bureau data shows that college still pays off in significant ways, with median earnings for degree holders nearly double those of high school graduates. READ MORE
BofA Raises U.S. Minimum Hourly Wage to $25, Increasing Starting Salary to More Than $50K
Today, Bank of America announced it has raised its U.S. minimum hourly wage to $25 per hour. With the increase, the minimum annualized salary for full-time employees in the U.S. will rise to more than $50,000. The increase, which goes into effect in early October, applies to all full-time and part-time hourly positions in the U.S., affecting thousands of employees across the nation and helping to fuel the growth of the American economy and create job opportunities that strengthen the communities the company serves. READ MORE
Fox CEO Suzanne Scott's net worth and staggering salary
As the first female CEO of FOX News, Suzanne Scott is thought to take home seven figures as the senior face of the broadcasting company.
Fox News, which is currently under fire from President Trump, began in 1996 with Scott joining at the very beginning. Rising through the ranks, Suzanne took over as the network's CEO from late Roger Ailes in 2018. Ailes resigned in 2016 amid sexual harassment allegations. READ MORE
The objectives of executive compensation and how to measure them
The basic objectives of executive compensation have been the same since the rise of large companies in the late 19th century: provide strong incentives to increase shareholder value, retain key talent and limit shareholder cost. What’s changed over time is the dominant approach to achieving these objectives. In the first half of the 20th century, companies relied heavily on fixed sharing to achieve the three objectives. Since then, public companies have shifted their focus from fixed sharing to competitive pay in the labor market. READ MORE
Elon Musk's $1 trillion pay deal is ambitious — but so was his last 'mammoth' one, tech guru says
Tesla's $1 trillion pay deal for Elon Musk has triggered the same skepticism that greeted his ambitious 2018 pay deal, tech investor Eric Schiffer has said.
In a wide-ranging interview with Business Insider, the CEO of private-equity firm the Patriarch Organization said Musk's previous deal also tied a "mammoth" payout to extremely challenging goals. READ MORE
Tips on Taking the Emotion Out of Pay Conversations
“Pay is personal.” It’s a mantra every manager in your organization should repeat when going into a pay conversation with an employee. There are aspects of pay that might be unrelated to work, and a manager should be prepared for anything. It’s exactly why being prepared with data and facts can turn pay conversations from emotional to meaningful. READ MORE
Pay raises will be stagnant in 2026 as companies 'reorient' to economic uncertainty
If you’re setting your sights on a big pay raise next year, you may want to temper your expectations.
Most employers plan to notch up salaries by an average of 3.4% in 2026 — on par with this year’s reported increases, according to a new survey from The Conference Board.
“Today’s labor market is one of reorientation, not retreat,” Mitchell Barnes, an economist at The Conference Board, told Yahoo Finance. “Employers anticipate steady compensation growth in 2026, but the underlying mix suggests some companies are scaling back, including signing and retention bonuses.” READ MORE
17 People Are Sharing The "Unknown" Jobs That Pay Unexpectedly Well
When one is looking for a high-paying job, others typically suggest career fields such as medicine, tech, finance, etc. However, there are many jobs out there that pay well without people realizing it... READ MORE
Discover the 10 College Majors with the Best Salary Potential After Graduation
Choosing a college major is a big decision, and while passion matters, so does having a paycheck to help pay off the student loans you take out along the way.
A 2025 analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows some fields can lead to starting salaries of $80,000 or more, while others offer steady career growth and lower unemployment.1 Whether you’re aiming for top dollar or a career you love, knowing your earning potential can help you make a smarter choice. READ MORE
Say-on-pay support stays steady and other lessons from the 2025 proxy season
With the 2025 North American proxy season now officially closed, emerging trends in executive compensation are offering valuable insights and shaping important considerations for boards going forward. Here, we explore some of these issues and ways boards and management teams can start to incorporate these into planning for next year’s shareholder meeting. READ MORE
Employers need to pay workers faster — or someone else will
For financially rattled U.S. workers, cash flow is king — which is why more employees are asking, or demanding, to get their wages paid as speedily as possible.
Take gig drivers for brands like Uber and Lyft. They’re telling their bosses that times are tough, and to stay on top of household financial obligations, they want their regular paychecks accelerated. READ MORE
Tesla CFO unloads more stock as CEO pay battle brews
While non-binding, “say on pay” votes — which the SEC mandates must be held every three years by public entities — serve as a barometer regarding shareholders’ views of executive compensation, and failing votes can provide a strong signal of such to leadership and the company’s board. As of June 26, only five companies in the S&P 500 saw failing say on pay votes, according to a recent post on the Harvard Law School’s Forum for Corporate Governance. READ MORE
10 Tech Certifications With The Biggest Salary Boosts In 2025
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