Every year, the Municipal Association of SC reaches out to city clerks and human resources staff to ask them to update their cities' compensation information for the Association's online compensation survey. The information they provide allows for an annual report of the wages and salaries paid to South Carolina municipal employees and elected officials.
Competitive pay is one of the most critical tools that cities and towns have to attract and retain employees. Local governments have to 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 Association makes the data from its compensation survey available through its website, www.masc.sc. Municipalities can use this online tool to make sure that their compensation scale is competitive with other municipalities with comparable populations and budgets.
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. The 2021 survey will be available for data entry from January 4 to February 26.