Staffing Industry Compensation Survey

The ASA Staffing Industry Compensation Survey—the most comprehensive of its kind—collects information on salaries, variable pay, and benefits for 28 positions specific to the staffing industry. ASA has been conducting an annual compensation survey since 1999.

The survey is designed to help answer questions such as, what is the average pay for a recruiter, branch manager, or vice president? How are staffing companies structuring benefits and incentive plans? What are average turnover rates for internal positions?

The 2009 survey reports—expected in October—will help answer these and many other questions. The final reports allow staffing companies to easily see how their compensation, incentive, and benefits structures compare to those of similar firms. They can help staffing firms develop competitive plans and know what to pay.

Survey Details

• Data effective June 1, 2009.
• Contracted to Mercer Human Resource Consulting, an independent research firm, to compile the results and ensure confidentiality of participant data; ASA does not have access to individual company information and reports only aggregate results.
• Recent survey reports have included data covering more than 20,000 employees in more than 6,000 staffing offices.
• Customized reports are available online through Mercer PayMonitor.

Participation Information

The 2009 survey is now open. ASA invites all U.S. staffing firms to participate. There are no fees for participation. Companies that complete the survey questionnaire receive a 50% discount on the survey results and the ability to compare their firm's data with data from companies of similar size.

• Download 2009 survey guide (PDF 229 KB)
• Download 2009 survey questionnaire (XLS 180 KB)
• Data are due July 17.

Survey Results

The 2009 Staffing Industry Compensation Survey reports will be available in October—in time for 2010 compensation planning. The results cover 28 staffing-specific positions and include the following key metrics:

• Base pay, variable pay, and total cash compensation
• Components of commission: sales and gross margin
• Performance measures used for bonus and incentive plans
• Narrative descriptions of incentive pay and commission plans
• Turnover rate by position
• Traditional pay structures
• Pay increase practices
• Geographic compensation analyses for selected positions
• Overview of compensation and benefits offerings
• Reimbursements and expenses
• Sample position report (PDF 42 KB)
• Names of participating companies (PDF 20 KB)
• Positions included in Module A: sales, recruiting, and customer service (PDF 26 KB)
• Positions included in Module B: managers (PDF 23 KB)
• Positions included in Module C: directors and vice presidents (PDF 22 KB)

Survey Schedule

Order survey reports online or download a form (PDF 230 KB). Customized reports are available for purchase.

Related Resources

• Staffing Operations Survey
• Staffing Industry Economic Analysis
• Employment and Sales Survey