Compensation Glossary
Welcome to ERI SalaryExpert's compensation glossary, your resource for commonly used terms, formulas, and phrases related to compensation.
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
A geographic entity delineated by the Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. Metropolitan statistical areas consist of the county or counties (or equivalent entities) associated with at least one urbanized area of at least 50,000 population, plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties. More information on metropolitan areas is available from the U.S. Census Bureau website: <a href="https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/metro-micro/about/glossary.html">https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/metro-micro/about/glossary.html</a>
Popular Searches
Linear Regression
Sales Compensation
Hours of Work
Minimum Wage
Cost of Living
Year of Service
Coefficient of Determination
Bonus
Total Rewards
Salary Structure Change
Black-Scholes Model Z
Pay Range Overlap
Job Evaluation
Gender Pay Gap
Salary Range
Annual Incentive
FICA
Quartile
Broadbanding
Stock Option Incentive
Shift Differentials
Mode
Internal Equity
Standard Error of Estimate
Lump Sum Merit
Defined Contribution Plans
Promotional Increase
Range
Salary Grade
Step Rates
Market Pricing
Cost of Labor
Lead-Lag Pay Structure Policy
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Range Penetration
Benchmark Job
Mix
Market Index
Green Circle Rate
Benchmarking
Geographic Differential
Defined Benefit Plans
Median
Compa-Ratio
General Salary Increase
Midpoint Progression
Restricted Stock
Turnover
Compensable Factors
Pay Equity
Merit Increase
Job Family
Market Based Salary Increase Budget
Aging Survey Data
Lead Pay Structure Policy
Lag the Market
Mean
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Pay Grade
Red Circle Rate
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Demotion
Percentile
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
Works Council
Range Spread
Standard Deviation
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
White Papers
Insights on Compensation
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
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