Compensation Glossary
Welcome to ERI SalaryExpert's compensation glossary, your resource for commonly used terms, formulas, and phrases related to compensation.
Comparable Worth
This is a doctrine that states that jobs have an inherent value. As such, men and women who perform jobs of the same inherent value should be similarly compensated. Before disparate treatment of protected classes became an issue, this term was used for both external competitive comparisons and for internal equity decisions. Today <i>comparable worth</i> focuses special attention on pay practices that may match the market or perpetuate past internal practices, but still create or perpetuate discrimination in the treatment of those holding female-dominated jobs whose content is similar but not equal to that of male-dominated jobs. <i>Comparable worth</i> means that women should be paid the same as men, excepting allowable differences (i.e. seniority plans, merit plans, production-based pay plans, or different establishments or locations).
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ERI SalaryExpert was launched in 2000 by ERI Economic Research Institute to help organizations and individuals optimize salary planning. Our robust compensation management solution houses the global salary survey data and applications needed to design competitive and effective compensation structures. From benchmarking with reliable market data to analyzing geographic differentials and conducting pay equity analyses, our intelligent platform is an innovative way of merging integral salary survey data with efficient features, all in one system.
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Featured White Paper
Common Compensation Terms and Formulas - January 2026
Find commonly used compensation terms and formulas for your reference when planning compensation.
Ready to Streamline Your Compensation Strategy with Us?
Discover how our Assessor Platform can help you attract top talent, stay on top of market trends, and set your organization up for success, all in one platform.
Try a Free Demo
About Us
ERI SalaryExpert was launched in 2000 by ERI Economic Research Institute to help organizations and individuals optimize salary planning. Our robust compensation management solution houses the global salary survey data and applications needed to design competitive and effective compensation structures. From benchmarking with reliable market data to analyzing geographic differentials and conducting pay equity analyses, our intelligent platform is an innovative way of merging integral salary survey data with efficient features, all in one system.
Learn More