Compensation Glossary
Welcome to ERI SalaryExpert's compensation glossary, your resource for commonly used terms, formulas, and phrases related to compensation.
Top Hat Plans
Generally, there are two types of Top Hat plans: 1) a nonqualified deferred compensation plan and 2) a supplemental executive retirement plan. The former allows participants to defer income into the plan during each calendar year, while the latter is funded entirely by the employer.
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Compa-Ratio
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Job Family
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Demotion
Range
Year of Service
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Black-Scholes Model Z
Market Based Salary Increase Budget
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Pay Range Overlap
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Promotional Increase
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Gender Pay Gap
Aging Survey Data
General Salary Increase
Pay Equity
Defined Contribution Plans
Total Rewards
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Hours of Work
Benchmark Job
Range Penetration
Percentile
Annual Incentive
Red Circle Rate
Sales Compensation
Mode
Standard Error of Estimate
Market Pricing
Stock Option Incentive
Bonus
Job Evaluation
Restricted Stock
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Range Spread
Minimum Wage
Shift Differentials
Lag the Market
Internal Equity
Green Circle Rate
Lead-Lag Pay Structure Policy
Lead Pay Structure Policy
Lump Sum Merit
Standard Deviation
Compensable Factors
Merit Increase
Cost of Living
FICA
Midpoint Progression
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Linear Regression
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
Quartile
Works Council
Broadbanding
Turnover
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Salary Grade
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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