Executive Pay Drops in the Past 12 Months, According to ERI Economic Research Institute

News – For Immediate Release from ERI Economic Research Institute…

REDMOND, WA – November 2008 – During the most recent 12 months, the average total compensation of the highest paid executives in US publicly-traded companies decreased by 4.0%. This continued the decrease in total compensation during 2008, first evidenced in ERI’s August study of executive compensation. While overall total compensation decreased, three components of pay reported increases: non-equity based incentives (up 17.8%), restricted stock awards (up 24.5%), and pensions (up 45.5%). However, the ultimate value of the restricted stock awards and stock options may be affected by the most recent drop in share prices. Decreases were reported in components of base salaries, stock options, LTIP, and “All Other.”

ERI Economic Research Institute created this index of Executive Compensation 11 years ago. Since its inception in 1997, revenues of the US companies studied increased nearly 7 times faster than the dollar amounts paid to the companies’ highest paid executives, with total revenues increasing by 118% compared to an 18% increase for executive compensation.

Compensation Changes during the Past 12 Months

During the past 12 months, Overall Total Compensation of the highest-paid executive decreased by 4%, while revenues increased nearly 7%, with the average top executive receiving Overall Total Compensation of $17,760,518.

Compensation Changes Since 1997

The highest paid executives of US companies saw an increase in Overall Total Compensation of nearly 18% during the past 11 years, but the compensation components reported have changed significantly during this time period due to SEC reporting requirements.

Comparing Revenue growth to Total Compensation growth during this same period shows the average dollar amount of company revenues increased by nearly 118% as compared to 18% for total compensation. This means the dollar revenues increased nearly 7 times faster than the average dollar amount of the Executive Total Compensation Package.

Read the FULL Press Release at:
ERI Economic Research Institute News Room.

Seven Salary Survey and Resource Links for Human Resource Executives

Here is a List of Seven Salary Survey and Resource Links for HR Execs…

Salary Surveys
Providing salary surveys in both software and hard copy formats.

Cost of Living Comparisons
Calculate relocation allowances and per diem rates for 10,000 cities.

Executive Salary Surveys
Competitive executive total cash compensation survey data for 400 top management job titles in all industries.

Geographic Salary Comparisons
Set branch office salary structures based on geographic pay differentials.

Non-Profit Executive Salary
Executive compensation software and reports for employees at non-profits.

International Salary Comparisons
Research salaries for 100,000 jobs in 200 countries. This is the only salary database available for many hard-to-research international locations.

Job Analysis Software
Analyze thousands of positions. Update job documentation (titles and descriptions).

Find more salary resources at: SalaryExpert.com

Revised Salary Survey Website Provides Salary Resources to HR Professionals Worldwide

The newly revised easy to use ERI Salary Survey Website portal provides salary survey resources to management and HR professionals worldwide.

As seen on PRLog.org: ERI Salary Survey provides Human resource managers, directors and executives worldwide, compensation data tools and software to set individual pay, adjust branch office salary structures, and set relocation allowances.

ERI Economic Research Institute was founded in 1987 to provide salary survey and cost-of-living research to HR professionals in the form of survey software databases, published salary reports, and online salary surveys.

The new website portal, ERI-Salary-Survey.com is aimed to provide choices to Human Resource professionals such as Salary Calculators, Salary Surveys, Surveys by Industry, Salary Reports, Geographic Pay Data, Global Salary Tools, resources and more.

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SalaryExpert.com is an ERI affiliate providing FREE Job Search software to students and job recruiters, HR execs and Professionals. Professionals use ERI salary survey software to plan compensation increases and set wage/salary structures.