HRA-NCA 2010 Compensation Survey Report Released; Washington Area Median Salary Increased 2.2% from 2009 to 2010; Security Clearance Pay Differential Reported

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area (HRA-NCA), the local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, has released its 2010 Compensation Survey Report.

Speakers at the free seminar on local compensation trends included: Alan Chvotkin, Executive Vice President and Counsel, Professional Services Council, the trade association representing the professional and technical services industry; Karen Uhlir, Lead Compensation Analyst at BAE Systems; Michael Kostrzewa, PhD, Human Resources Director at YRCI, a DC area HR consulting and executive search firm; George Lane, Principal of Mercer and Angelo Kostopoulos, President, AKRON, Inc., the firm that administered the survey and compiled the survey report.

341 Washington, DC area employers participated in the survey and provided compensation data for 337 jobs while reporting on 311,000 employees in every major industry in the Washington region. This is the 31^st Annual HRA-NCA Survey and it is widely viewed as the definitive source of human resource salary data and compensation practices in the greater Washington, DC region.

Highlights of the survey include:

1. From 2009 through February 2010, the employees in the Washington area median increase in salary paid for all positions in the survey was 2.2%, while employers are budgeting 2.7% increases for the year for all positions. (This is down from 3.1% in 2009.)
2. Employee Total Turnover was reported at 16% in the DC region and voluntary turnover was 12%.
3. When reviewing the data by job type on an incumbent-weighted basis, the largest increases were reported in Biomedical and Lab Science jobs (6.1%), Legal (5.9%), Marketing & Sales (5.7%), and Engineering and Field Services (5.1%).
4. The Financial Services industry had the highest increase at 6.1% over last year, Technology and Science had a 4.1% increase, Health Care had a 3.9% increase, while Professional Services and local/regional Government had the smallest increase, at 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. The survey asked employers to report on pay differential for employees holding security clearances. 72% of government contractors reported that “cleared” personnel receive greater compensation than employees in comparable positions without a clearance. This is up from the 51% reported in 2009. Employers indicated that employees with the highest clearances received on average 12% more in base pay than those without a clearance. Incumbents with mid-level clearances receive a median pay differential between 5-10% over non-cleared comparable employees. Personnel with low level clearances receive a negligible premium.
5. The median federal government employee increase was 2.2% in 2010 (down from 5.3% in 2009). The non-federal average increase was 2.5% for 2010.

The Professional Services Council, the trade association representing government contractors, is a partner with HRA-NCA in producing the Government Contractors’ Compensation Survey that will be released on September 15.

The survey reports are available for sale and further information can be found at www.hra-nca.org.

Press Notes: Reporters wishing to obtain further information about Washington area compensation, compensation policies and practices, and benefits or to set up interviews with local compensation experts, or need a copy of the presentations or the HRA-NCA Compensation Report should call Dave Sturtevant, PR Consultant, 703-402-3707 or email [e-mail]