Wage & Policies Report
Recruiting and retaining a qualified and engaged workforce ranks as one of the top challenges of most businesses today. The Lancaster Chamber’s Wage & Policies Report provides a comprehensive benchmarking tool for companies to stay competitive by providing local wage data and information on relevant company policies.
The Wage & Policies Report is a great benchmarking tool for organizations to evaluate their offerings in comparison with the local Lancaster County average. The most recent Wage & Policies Report is available for purchase in our shop annually in the fall.
Member companies purchasing the Wage & Policies Report receive a discount. All companies who participate in the data collection process – the Wage & Policies Survey – receive an additional discount on the purchase price.
The Wage & Policies Report provides county-wide data* on the maximum, minimum, and average wages, rate ranges across participating companies, annual wage adjustments, and wage histories from past reports as available. The Wage & Policies Report includes nearly 300 positions across the following role categories:
- Executive
- Accounting & Finance
- Building, Construction, & Utility
- Customer Service & Operations
- Education, Health, Hospitality, & Social Services
- Engineering
- Human Resources & Safety
- Laboratory, Research & Development
- Legal & Insurance
- Marketing & Sales
- Maintenance, Installation, and Facilities
- Production
- Purchasing, Transportation, & Supply Chain
Each position is defined by the Standard Occupational Classification System produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and/or local input from Lancaster area companies. The positions selected are reflective of Lancaster County’s economic environment. Participating companies have an option to submit position/role recommendations for future surveys to the Chamber team. Review our list of definitions here.
The Wage & Policies Report also includes local companies’ practices on wage administration, incentive pay and compensation trends, recruitment and onboarding, vacation policies, retirement policies, and more! The section on work-based learning focuses on internships, apprenticeships, and other opportunities available locally for high school and college students.
Wage & Policies Survey
Every year, the Lancaster Chamber connects with businesses across Lancaster County to collect wage and policy data through the Wage & Policies Survey. Our data collection focuses on operations in Lancaster County. There is no cost to participate in the Wage & Policies Survey, and participating companies do not have to be a member of the Lancaster Chamber to participate.
Participating companies receive a discount on the purchase of the final Wage & Policies Report. The Wage & Policies Survey is available and open for participation in April each year.
Quick Links
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the survey open?
The survey is open for participation in April.
When will results be available?
The Wage & Policies Report is available in the fall.
How much does it cost?
It is free to participate in the Wage & Policies Survey. The full Wage & Policies Report, however, costs $400 for members and $600 for future members. Companies who have participated in the Wage & Policies Survey receive a discount on their purchase price. You do not have to be a Chamber member to participate or to receive a discount.
I don’t know if I have the time to do it. Do I have to complete the survey all at once?
You do not need to complete the survey all at once. You can save your unique edit link (the URL that opens when you start participating in the survey) or retrieve your edit link from us. You can revisit the survey to provide information while it is open during the month of April.
Do I need to fill out every question?
All required questions are indicated as such. Please complete as much of the survey as possible, as your contributions enable us to provide a more comprehensive overview of the labor market in Lancaster County.
Positions that do not have at least 3 responses from participating employers are marked as insufficient in the final report.
Your participation is valuable to the broader community!
I started to fill in my data on the Wage & Policies Survey, but I had to close out in the middle of participating. Where do I find my edit link?
Your unique edit link is the URL that is generated when you start participating in the survey. We recommend saving or bookmarking this link for easy reference as you move in and out of the survey. If you need to retrieve your edit link, please reach out to our Data Management Intern at wbintern@lancasterchamber.com or to Ashley Glensor, Programs & Workforce Strategies Manager, at aglensor@lancasterchamber.com.
What do I do if a position is not listed on the survey?
While your exact position may not be listed, there is a good chance that the responsibilities may be included under another title. Please refer to the job description document (link) to see if there are any matching job descriptions based on role responsibilities.
If the position title is unavailable, please submit your requested position to the Chamber team for future consideration. We examine the positions every year and make decisions on survey inclusion based on how many companies are reporting and/or requesting those positions.
Why did you remove a position from the survey?
We evaluate the survey every year. We remove a position from the survey after three years without 3 or more companies reporting on it.
I have concerns about my data. How is my data protected?
Your data is stored in the Chamber’s encrypted system. Your information is only used in the aggregate, and the data you provide is separated from your company during processing. You may opt out of having your name included in our list of participating companies at the end of the Wage & Policies Report.
Do I need to convert pay to an annual/hourly rate?
No. In the survey, you can indicate whether the pay you are entering for the position is annual or hourly by entering 1 or 2, respectively. All pay will be converted to an annual rate in the final report to provide a yearlong outlook on the position’s earnings.
What wage information do I need to include in the report for the positions?
Companies report on the following information for each role:
- The Lowest Actual Base Pay
- The Highest Actual Base Pay
- The Average Actual Base Pay (Weighted)
- The Minimum Rate – Rate Range
- The Maximum Rate – Rate Range
How do I read the wage data on the report?
The Wage & Policies Report provides averages of the reported data in each category listed above.
Why are some of the data points labeled insufficient for a position?
We only provide information if 3 or more companies report on it. Employers may only report on a few of the data points for each role. We always encourage participating companies to complete as much as possible to prevent insufficient information!
You have data points on base pay and pay rate. What is the difference?
Base pay is the hourly rate that you pay an employee. An employee’s base rate may be the same as their regular rate; however, an employee’s regular rate may be higher than the base rate because the regular rate includes calculations on commissions, bonuses, piece-rate earnings, etc.
When an employee’s base pay is different from their regular rate, the regular rate is used – for example – when hourly employees work overtime or use sick leave.
Who do I contact if I have other questions?
Please reach out to our Data Management Intern at wbintern@lancasterchamber.com or to Ashley Glensor, Programs & Workforce Strategies Manager, at aglensor@lancasterchamber.com.
*Minimizing Risk of Antitrust Violations
The Lancaster Chamber helps organizations safely obtain salary, wage, and benefits data by ensuring compliance with U.S. Department of Justice guidelines. To preserve the integrity of the survey process, all data received by the Lancaster Chamber from participating members is treated as strictly confidential and is provided in aggregate format. Company-specific data is not shared with any other outside entity or individual, and companies participating in the survey can opt out of including themselves in our participating companies section of the Wage & Policies Report.
Participation by competing employers in surveys of employee salaries, wages or benefits does not necessarily raise antitrust concerns. In fact, such surveys can have significant benefits. Employers can use information derived from benchmarking surveys to offer competitive compensation and benefits that attract and retain qualified employees. The Wage & Policies data collection process and report ensure that:
1. The survey is managed by a reputable third-party provider like the Lancaster Chamber;
2. The information provided by survey participants is based on data more than 3 months old;
3. There are at least 3 organizations reporting data and no individual respondent’s data represents more than 25% on a weighted basis of that statistic; and
4. Any information disseminated is sufficiently aggregated such that it would not allow recipients to identify the compensation paid or benefits provided by any organization.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ashley Glensor, Programs & Workforce Strategies Manager, at aglensor@lancasterchamber.com or (717) 696-6240.
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