by: Paul R. Dorf, Ph.D., APD
Upper Saddle River, N.J. - May 2004 - Compensation Resources, Inc. has released the results of its 2003-2004 College Graduate Salary Survey. The purpose of this study was to obtain compensation data and information on recruiting and hiring trends for recent and new college graduates. The survey sampled compensation data from 71 organizations, including 1,253 jobs.
The results do not indicate any startling or unexpected results, and for the most part, they are consistent with other studies covering broader employee compensation trends. Among the most significant findings was that total cash compensation, which consists of salary and bonus/incentives, increased by a respectable 6.1%, even though salaries only increased by a modest 0.8%. This is consistent with the trend of increased use of variable pay elements by many organizations. Variable pay allows companies to offer competitive pay with upside potential, while controlling fixed overhead for payroll costs, and to some degree, lessening the impact of higher salaries on benefit costs (i.e., vacation and time off benefits, retirement, some insurances, etc.). Some additional highlights:
Compensation Resources, Inc. (CRI) provides compensation and human resource consulting to start-up, emerging, and middle market companies. CRI specializes in Executive Compensation, Board Advisory Services, Salary Administration, Performance Management, Salary Administration, Sales Compensation, and Expert Witness services.
For more information on our consulting services, please contact us at (201) 934-0505 or visit our website at www.compensationresources.com.