Each year, the Municipal Association of SC helps cities and towns compile an annual report of the wages and salaries paid to their employees and elected officials — but the data relies on reporting from each municipality in order to be valuable. At the beginning of every year, the Association asks each municipality to update its compensation information through an online survey.
Competitive pay provides one of the most critical tools to help municipalities attract and retain employees. Local governments compete for job candidates with state agencies, county governments and the private sector. Data on current salary ranges can help cities and towns maintain an edge.
The Municipal Association makes the data from its compensation survey available through its website, www.masc.sc. Cities and towns can use this online tool to make sure that their compensation scales are 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.
The 2024 survey will be available for data entry from January 2 to February 23. For more information, visit the compensation survey page and for questions, contact Sara Whitaker at swhitaker@masc.sc or 803.933.1240.