Closely following WorldatWork’s publication of top-line results from its salary increase budget survey, Mercer released findings this week from its own recent survey on compensation trends (featuring responses from nearly 1,500 mid-size and large U.S. employers).
The Mercer study shows that the average raise in base pay for 2014 in the U.S. is projected to be 2.9 percent. This is slightly below WorldatWork’s projected 3.1 percent; but both surveys’ findings show a tiny uptick from 2013.
Minor variations aside, just further confirmation that salary increases for most employees aren’t leaving that 3 percent plateau any time soon.
But, that doesn’t mean employers are giving up on using the dollars they do have available to reward performance.
Mercer also shared the following table featuring average salary increases as a function of performance (based on companies using a five point rating scale), which shows the highest rated performers getting base increases approximately 180 percent of those received by their middle-rated cohorts.
This was originally published on Ann Bares’ Compensation Force blog.