Complete the 2023 Compensation Survey

In the middle of 2022, South Carolina was posting an unemployment rate of 3.2%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, creating an environment where employers must compete for new hires, and must pay careful attention to their compensation. 

 

The Municipal Association of SC helps cities and towns with an annual report of the wages and salaries paid to their employees and elected officials, but the data relies on reporting from the municipalities. At the beginning of every year, the Association asks each municipality to update its compensation through an online survey. 

 

Competitive pay serves as one of the most critical tools helping cities and towns attract and retain employees. Local governments must compete for job candidates who are also being targeted by state agencies, county governments and the private sector. Data on current salary ranges can help cities and towns maintain an edge. 

 

The Municipal Association of SC helps cities and towns with an annual report of the wages and salaries paid to their employees and elected officials, with information provided by cities and towns. (High res image)

 

The Association makes the data from its compensation survey available online. Municipal staff can use this online tool to make sure that their compensation scale is on par with other municipalities with comparable populations and budgets. The report is helpful when looking at one-off comparisons or in years between formal studies, but it does not provide all the data of a full class and compensation study. 

 

Responding to the survey is optional, but the Association encourages all municipalities to complete it every year, since widespread participation makes the data more useful. In 2022, only 45% of SC’s 271 cities and towns completed the survey, so while there may be other municipalities from a region to compare, the report does not provide a complete picture.