Contents
Introduction
Methodology/Disclaimer
Main Tables and Graphs
Two City Comparison
Cost of Labor List
Cost of Living List
Minimum Wage
Maps
Graphs
Cost of Living Reports
Other Reports
OEWS Data
Job Zone
EEO-1 Data
SOC Description
Survey Description
Survey Comparison
Methodology
Using the Geographic Assessor
Most Common Tasks
Frequently Asked Questions
Using the Geographic Assessor
1. Comparing salaries in more than two areas at a time.
2. Destination values change when comparing different base cities
3. Who uses the Geographic Assessor?
4. Meaning of Two City Comparison percentages
5. Meaning of structures
6. Housing values look "low"
7. Miscellaneous - why value is negative
8. Modifications to assumptions - which screens are affected
9. Income tax rates - reversed relationship
10. Home ownership default - equal interest rates in both areas
11. International Base City spending pattern
12. Same Destination City, various Base Cities; why values change
13. Applying a COLA; higher cost of living in new area
14. Transportation expense when automobile assumptions
15. Selecting "Never Use Tax Equalization"
16. Can you use net income instead of annual gross in GA?
17. Why does the home size change when I modify the Base location?
18. Can't find a specific area
19. Accessing international areas
20. Why is data for my locations in the COL Table by Earnings missing?
21. Why does the home size change when I modify the Base location?
22. Why do the differentials vary by salary level?
23. What is the best salary level to use?
24. What location should be used as the base location?
Data Background Information
1. Affect of sales and use taxes on calculations
2. How cost of living is calculated
3. Two City Comparison - 'renter only' analyses?
4. Why is there a sharp decline in the salary differentials for areas in the UK as income levels increase?
5. How does GA determine the closest ERI city?
6. Why would GA not report COL values for some comparisons?
7. Why are there multiple cost-of-labor comparisons available for a city when the results are the same?
8. Why is the % of National Average COL missing in the Two City Comparison table?
9. City and town-specific data vs. metro and county average
10. Consumables - a basket of goods?
11. Source of transportation costs
12. Affect of sales, use and value added taxes
13. Why are your COL calculations different from online calculators?
14. Why is the COL in international locations so high?
15. How is housing different in Canada than the US?
16. Why have COL differentials between locations gone up (or down)?
17. How is Cost of Living (COL) different from the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
18. Comparison of the individual prices of the goods and services collected?
19. List of the data sources used for the calculations in the cost of living differentials?
20. What is the difference between the Local and National Expenditure pattern?
21. Does the Geographic Assessor include estimates for closing costs and other one-time expenses?
22. Why does the COL percent differential decrease as Annual Earnings increase?
23. How can there be lower income + payroll taxes in California compared to Colorado for a renter?
24. How can the cost of living be so much lower in Indianapolis, IN, than in Bangalore, India?
25. Where do you get your per diem rates? Can they be adjusted?
More Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Common to Multiple Assessor Series Applications
1. Where do the numbers for salaries and wages come from?
2. Where do the numbers for cost of living come from?
3. What is the difference between wage and cost-of-living differentials?
4. How is wage data compiled, and how old is the survey data used?
5. How is a job selected for inclusion? What is the sample size?
6. What salary surveys are used?
7. How many incumbents are there?
8. How is salary survey data weighted?
9. How can ERI report salaries by years of experience when some surveys don't?
10. What is statistical analysis?
11. Can I use this data as evidence for expert witness work?
12. Different types of job descriptions
13. Is wage data only from non-union employers?
14. What do the "incentive" amounts represent?
15. Why isn't the exempt status displayed?
16. Is data normalized to a 2080-hour year?
17. Changing the organization size type
18. Setting the salary planning date backwards; pro-rata figure
19. Why can't I find a certain position?
20. Education levels in position descriptions
21. How should I compare pay in different countries?
22. How is the National Average computed? Why is it different from others sources?
23. Accessing data for the current release; release-to-release comparisons
24. Is revenue "gross" or "net"?
25. Do any of the Assessors have a separate component for "security clearance" in the salary amounts?
26. What is the difference between User-Defined and Manual Averages?
27. How high up in pay do geographic pay differentials extend?
28. Are commissions included in compensation for sales positions?
29. How do you define "assets"?
30. Why is the ERI Closest Matching City found in a ZIP code search different than the Post Office City listed?
31. How are data from multiple salary surveys combined in the Assessor Series?
32. Does ERI collect data on per visit compensation?
33. Does ERI report target sales compensation?
34. Executive cash compensation in privately-held versus publicly-traded companies
35. Why is organization size important when analyzing compensation?
36. What do the "base salary" amounts represent?
37. What do the "total cash" amounts represent?
38. Why don't you show pay figures for all public jobs?
39. Why are results different when comparing the XA and CA?
40. How can I ensure that ZIP codes are formatted correctly in Excel for use in an Assessor Series application?
41. How is the Comparison List - COL in the Geographic Assessor different from the COL Table by Earnings in the Relocation Assessor?
42. How often is ERI Assessor Series data updated?
43. Can I share lists with others on my account?
44. How is the city of London defined in the Assessors?
FAQs About ERI Economic Research Institute
1. What does ERI do?
2. ERI vs. Competitors
3. ERI background to share with management
4. Which companies use ERI data?
5. ERI data vs. data of major consulting firms
6. Why an annual subscription?
7. How do you keep your costs so low?
8. I need help! How do I contact ERI?
9. What kind of onboarding or training do you offer?
Minimum Requirements
Browser Requirements
ERI Economic Research Institute
About ERI
Contact ERI Subscriber Services
ERI Services Agreement
Product and Ordering Information
ERI Products
Ordering Information
Additional Common Topics (Listed Alphabetically)
Advanced Search
APH Compliance
Area Related Topics
Definition of Geographic Area (Salary / Wage Analyses)
Definition of Geographic Area (Cost of Living)
Small Cities and Towns in ERI's Database
Requests for New Areas
Assessor Series Applications
Assessor Series Homepage
Assessor Series Homepage Background
Salary Assessor
Salary Assessor Background
Geographic Assessor
Geographic Assessor Background
Relocation Assessor
Relocation Assessor Background
Executive Compensation Assessor
Executive Compensation Assessor Background
Nonprofit Comparables Assessor
Nonprofit Comparables Assessor Background
Occupational Assessor (eDOT)
Occupational Assesssor (eDOT) Background
Global Salary Calculator
Global Salary Calculator Background
Conference Call Symposiums
Demonstration Version
eDOT Code
ERI and the Internet
ERI Distance Learning Center
ERI Update Newsletter Library
eSIC
Glossary of Compensation and Benefits Terms
Historical Analyses
Hybrid Jobs
Import Hybrid Job
Industry Classification Sources
Inflation Rates
Job Hierarchy Levels
Links to Third Party Web Sites
Maximum Reasonable Compensation
Means/Medians
NAICS
Participate in a Survey
Percentiles
My Organizations
Jobs
Areas
Data Availability
List Management
Search Industries
Search Job Families
Section 508 Compliance
Salary Surveys
Suggest an Industry
Suggest a Title
SVP
Update Available
User Name Menu
Account Administration
Download Center
Change Password
Additional Geographic Assessor Topics (Listed Alphabetically)
Automobile(s) Total Value Field
Base Location/Destination Location
Base Location's Base Salary Level
Browse Areas
Browse by Region
Browse Jobs
Canadian Counties
Canadian National Average vs. US National Average
COL Charts
COL Differentials vs. Wage/Salary Differentials
COL Model Benchmarks
COL % of US Average
COL Value Types
Cost of Labor List Background
Consumables
Cost of Living Assumptions
Cost of Living List Background
Cost of Living Reports Background
Estimated Per Diems
City Reports
Cost of Living Structures
Create User-Defined Average
Currency
Earnings Field
Economic Indicators
Edit User-Defined Average
Estimated Home Value
Exchange Rate
Export to Excel
Export to PDF
Family Size Field
Filters
General Administrative Letter 1-00
General Administrative Letter 2-98
Graphs Detail
Health Services
Housing Assumptions
Import Areas
Import Salary Levels
Import User-Defined Average
Income and Payroll Taxes
International Comparisons
Maps Background
Miles Per Year Field
Minimum Wage Background
Miscellaneous
Modify ERI Assumptions
Modify Salary Levels
Modify Table
Monthly Rent
Number Owned Field
OEWS Area
Other Reports Background
Own or Rent Field
Personalize Settings
Postal Code Search
Pre-defined Lists
Printing
Radius Search
Reliability Statistics
Relocation Administration
Rent/Utilities/Insurance
Salary Maximum Limits
Salary Minimum Limits
Salary Structure Variances
Salary Value Types
Save List
Sectors
Select User-Defined Average
Semantic Search
Sort Table
Square Feet Field
Tax Equalization
Tax Residence
Total Cost of Living
Transportation
Two City Comparison - Cost of Labor
Two City Comparison - Cost of Living
US Mortgage Interest Deduction - Two Kinds of Debt