HR advisory, assessments, and operating tools for U.S. businesses

Pay planning and salary decisions

Make pay decisions you can explain.

Build salary bands, plan merit increases, and prepare pay ranges for job postings. Use the numbers to support hiring offers, promotions, and annual raises.

Answer four questions to find a tool for your pay decision. See what is included and what it costs.

What you receive See the price and included files on each product page. Every purchase includes a full refund within 30 days. Request a refund at support@truestephr.com. What we cover

Salary ranges give you a consistent basis for hiring offers, promotions, and raises. Review where employees fall within their salary bands, calculate compa-ratios, and see how proposed merit increases affect your budget before making those decisions.

Pay requirements for job postings vary by state. Use the state-specific tools to prepare postings with the required pay information. Each pay transparency pack includes a dated state list, sample posting language, and an internal pay review.

Each workbook includes visible formulas, assumptions, and a review date. You can check the calculations and walk through the numbers with your finance partner. Your purchase includes a 30-day guarantee. For a full refund, reply to your receipt or email support@truestephr.com.

Featured tools

Tools for pay planning

Merit Increase Matrix

Build a merit increase plan using performance ratings, position within the salary range, and your budget.

5 files · 1 Excel · 13 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$29

Compensation Toolkit

Build salary ranges and plan merit increases within your budget using two connected Excel workbooks.

8 files · 2 Excel workbooks · 30 total pages

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$89

US State Pay Transparency Pack

Check job postings against the state pay-range requirements covered in the pack.

11 files · 1 Excel workbook · 4 Word documents · 35 total pages, plus web tools

United States · Federal and state · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$129

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Global Employer EU Readiness Bundle

Bring EU pay transparency requirements and EU AI Act obligations into one planning process.

27 files · 5 Excel · 5 Word · 137 pages in all files

European Union, reviewed 23 October 2026

$349

EU Pay Transparency Readiness Toolkit

Organize the work needed for EU pay transparency requirements.

7 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 31 pages in all files

European Union, reviewed 23 October 2026

$149

US State Pay Transparency Pack

Check job postings against the state pay-range requirements covered in the pack.

11 files · 1 Excel workbook · 4 Word documents · 35 total pages, plus web tools

United States · Federal and state · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$129

EU Job Architecture and Equal Value Work Kit

Compare jobs using documented criteria for equal work and work of equal value.

7 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 29 pages in all files

European Union, reviewed 23 October 2026

$99

Compensation Toolkit

Build salary ranges and plan merit increases within your budget using two connected Excel workbooks.

8 files · 2 Excel workbooks · 30 total pages

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$89

EU Job Posting Pay Range Pack

Establish pay ranges for EU job postings and document how they were set.

8 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 30 pages in all files

European Union, reviewed 23 October 2026

$89

Mexico 40-Hour Workweek Readiness Kit

Plan staffing, schedules, and pay as Mexico moves from a 48-hour to a 40-hour workweek.

10 files · 1 Excel · 4 Word · 36 pages in all files, web tools not counted

Mexico, reviewed 23 October 2026

$89

Ontario Job Posting Transparency Pack

Prepare publicly advertised Ontario job postings using the 2026 requirements included in the pack.

8 files · 1 Excel · 3 Word · 21 pages in all files, web tools not counted

Canada, Ontario, reviewed 23 October 2026

$89

Manufacturing Compensation and Shift Differential Toolkit

Build plant salary ranges and calculate shift differentials.

8 files · 2 Excel · 34 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$69

Technician Pay and Retention Toolkit

Plan technician pay progression and prepare for regular retention conversations.

8 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 28 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$69

EU Employee Pay Information Request Tracker

Track employee pay information requests, two-month response deadlines, privacy obligations, and annual reminders in one place.

4 files · 1 Excel · 12 pages in all files

European Union, reviewed 23 October 2026

$59

JD Classification and Pay Transparency Kit

Align job descriptions, classification decisions, pay ranges, and recruiting materials.

7 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 38 pages in all files

United States, federal law, state rules flagged, reviewed 23 October 2026

$59

Caregiver Pay and Retention Toolkit

Model caregiver pay changes against billing rates and prepare for raise and retention conversations with the guide, workbook, and scripts.

8 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 35 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$49

Tech Pay Plan and Margin Workbook

See how technician wages, spiffs, commissions, and drive time affect the billed hours needed to support a raise.

8 files · 1 Excel · 1 Word · 39 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$49

Pay Structure and Internal Equity Review

Review pay differences between two employee groups in three steps.

5 files · 1 Excel · 14 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$39

Salary Band Builder

Build salary bands from market compensation data.

5 files · 1 Excel · 11 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$39

Employee Cost Calculator

Calculate total employee cost, including wages, taxes, benefits, and other employer expenses.

5 files · 1 Excel · 10 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$29

Merit Increase Matrix

Build a merit increase plan using performance ratings, position within the salary range, and your budget.

5 files · 1 Excel · 13 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$29

Promotion and Internal Equity Calculator

Compare a proposed promotion increase with salary ranges and pay for similar roles.

5 files · 1 Excel · 14 pages in all files

United States · Federal · Reviewed 23 October 2026

$29

Pay research and references

Research behind the tools

Compa-ratio and range penetration

Compa-ratio compares pay with the range midpoint. Range penetration shows where pay falls within the band.
Use WorldatWork definitions of compa-ratio and range penetration to evaluate salary bands and plan merit increases.

Source checked 24 June 2026.
State pay transparency posting laws: which states require a pay range in the job posting

14 states and the District of Columbia have job posting pay range requirements.
Review the pay-range posting requirements for 14 states and the District of Columbia as of October 2026, along with Delaware's 26 September 2027 effective date.

Source checked 13 October 2026.
The 2026 FLSA salary threshold for overtime exemptions: what $684 a week means

The 2026 federal salary threshold is $684 per week for qualifying exemptions.
Learn how the federal salary threshold applies to qualifying executive, administrative, and professional exemptions. The article also explains the court decision that vacated the 2024 increase and the higher thresholds in some states.

Source checked 13 October 2026.
The fully loaded cost of an employee: what the salary number leaves out

All-in cost often runs 1.25 to 1.4 times salary.
Federal tax rates and BLS benchmarks help show how payroll taxes, benefits, and overhead affect the cost of a position. State unemployment rates vary by employer.

Source checked 13 October 2026.

You can request a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Reply to your receipt or email support@truestephr.com.