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State officials present expanded 2024 market and benefits survey showing narrower pay gaps for many classifications
Summary
Department of Administration officials told the Special Committee on State Employee Compensation that an expanded 2024 pay and benefits survey covering 140 benchmarks and nearly 10,000 employees shows fewer job classes deeply under market and more at-or-above market compared with 2023, though gaps remain in hard-to-fill roles.
Craig Knowlton, Deputy Secretary of Management and Director of Personnel Services at the Department of Administration, told the Special Committee on State Employee Compensation that the department’s 2024 market and benefits survey covered 140 benchmarks and 9,943 employees and used a two‑year rotating survey process to keep data recent.
The expanded survey, Knowlton said, combined responses from in‑state employers (weighted at 75%) with data from other states through the National Compensation Association of State Governments (NCASG). The 2024 survey included 39 new benchmarks over 2023 and increased the share of benefits‑eligible employees represented from about 65% to 78.6%.
Why it matters: the survey is the Department of Administration’s principal evidence base for pay decisions. Knowlton told the committee the office changed its survey cycle to two years and added benchmarks to better reflect state positions and regional comparators. He said using employer‑reported average pay (rather than starting pay) better captures the full range of workstation experience.
Key findings: Knowlton pointed to three headline comparisons (summary page cited in committee materials). In 2023, 11 of 101 benchmarks were 20% or more below market; in 2024, eight of 140 were at that level. Benchmarks within the favorable “sweet spot” (within 5% below to 5% above market) rose from 28 of 101 in 2023 to 54 of 140 in 2024. Benchmarks at or above market increased from 19 of 101 in 2023 to 58 of 140 in 2024.
Knowlton and committee members discussed persistent problems in specific occupations and places. He said nurse pay moved above market in 2024 after the state rolled targeted differentials into base pay for many classifications, but stressed that hiring remains difficult in some regions because of competing temporary “travel nurse” pay and local market conditions.
Committee members pressed the department on regional differences for certain facilities — for example, Norton and other rural communities where neighboring states or private employers can set higher wages. Knowlton said regionalization of some corrections and hospital benchmarks is possible but limited by the number of responding employers in a given area.
Benefits information: the department included NCASG benefits comparisons at the committee’s request. Knowlton said the office produced the benefits appendix for legislators but did not collect in‑state benefits for every employer because of survey length and low response rates.
What’s next: committee members asked the Department of Administration to follow up with agencies having persistent staffing problems and to explore regional benchmarking for corrections and state hospitals where local labor markets diverge. The department also said it will work with agencies to analyze whether pay changes are producing improved recruitment and retention for the hardest‑to‑fill jobs.
Ending: committee members thanked staff for the packet and indicated they would request further follow‑up on regional benchmarking and the detailed distribution of how many positions sit within various market gaps.
