Compensation Glossary
Welcome to ERI SalaryExpert's compensation glossary, your resource for commonly used terms, formulas, and phrases related to compensation.
Highly Compensated Employees
Either a 5% owner or a person who earned more than $80,000 during the current or preceding year. Repeals rule treating highest paid officer as an HCE, the top-100 rule, and family aggregation rules in both the HCE definition and the $150,000 compensation cap. Discrimination in favor of this group is prohibited.
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General Salary Increase
Lump Sum Merit
Market Based Salary Increase Budget
Range
Mean
Linear Regression
Works Council
Job Family
Mode
Range Spread
Turnover
Annual Incentive
Demotion
Pay Range Overlap
Internal Equity
Stock Option Incentive
Broadbanding
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
Benchmark Job
Sales Compensation
Cost of Living
Job Evaluation
Compensable Factors
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Salary Grade
Standard Error of Estimate
Geographic Differential
Minimum Wage
Lead Pay Structure Policy
Compa-Ratio
Midpoint Progression
Pay Grade
Salary Structure Change
Standard Deviation
Aging Survey Data
Market Pricing
Quartile
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Lead-Lag Pay Structure Policy
Restricted Stock
Shift Differentials
Lag the Market
Bonus
Step Rates
Merit Increase
Promotional Increase
Red Circle Rate
Hours of Work
Pay Equity
Year of Service
Salary Range
Cost of Labor
Range Penetration
Green Circle Rate
FICA
Coefficient of Determination
Gender Pay Gap
Mix
Defined Benefit Plans
Benchmarking
Median
Black-Scholes Model Z
Defined Contribution Plans
Total Rewards
Market Index
Percentile
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
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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