Promotions Don’t Always Come With Pay Bumps — But You’ll See the Biggest Gains in These 3 U.S. States

New research from Career.io reveals where people can expect the most significant financial reward.

By Amanda Breen edited by Jessica Thomas Jul 31, 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Thirteen percent of employers give employees new titles without the pay to match.
  • Wage increases for employees swapping entry-level roles for senior ones can vary considerably from state to state.

Although many employees moving up at work might expect a pay increase to go with their shiny new titles — especially if they’re transitioning from an entry-level position to a senior role — it doesn’t always happen that way.

In fact, 13% of employers are giving employees new job titles instead of money, according to a recent poll from compensation consultants Pearl Meyer, reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Related: What Is a ‘Dry Promotion’ — and Has It Happened to You? Employees in This Specific Group May Be the Most Likely Victims.

However, employees who are promoted in some U.S. states stand to see a much greater financial reward than those in others.

Career services platform Career.io examined the disparity across the country, analyzing nearly 40,000 job listings to rank each state by the average increase in pay between entry-level and experienced-level workers.

Workers making the jump from entry-level to senior positions in Florida, Missouri and Utah can expect the most significant pay boosts at 35.3%, 34.8% and 34.3%, respectively, according to the study.

Related: This Workplace Expert’s ‘Brainwashing’-Esque Technique Will Help You Get the Raise You Deserve

But those receiving promotions elsewhere might not be so lucky: Employees who move from entry-level to senior roles can expect the lowest wage hikes in Washington (12.4%) and Vermont (14.7%), per the research.

Check out the infographic below to see the full state-by-state breakdown from Career.io:

Image Credit: Courtesy of Career.io

Key Takeaways

  • Thirteen percent of employers give employees new titles without the pay to match.
  • Wage increases for employees swapping entry-level roles for senior ones can vary considerably from state to state.

Although many employees moving up at work might expect a pay increase to go with their shiny new titles — especially if they’re transitioning from an entry-level position to a senior role — it doesn’t always happen that way.

In fact, 13% of employers are giving employees new job titles instead of money, according to a recent poll from compensation consultants Pearl Meyer, reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Related: What Is a ‘Dry Promotion’ — and Has It Happened to You? Employees in This Specific Group May Be the Most Likely Victims.

Amanda Breen

Senior Features Writer at Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur Staff
Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

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