A survey, conducted by WorldatWork, examines salary data across all employee categories and industries in Canada and 20 major cities in the United States. Houston salary budgets are expected to increase by 3.9 percent in 2009, matching this year's increase, according to the survey.
Nine of 10 employees can expect pay increases this year, the survey found. High performers can expect raises of more than 5 percent, while below-average performers are expecting pay raises of 2 percent or lower.
The Houston data mirrors the nationwide salary budget increase of 3.9 percent, slightly ahead of Dallas, which will see 3.8 percent salary growth this year and the same pace in 2009. Across Texas, projected salary increases for 2009 are slightly higher, at 4 percent.
After seeing salary budget increases sink to historic lows in 2003-2004 and begin to climb steadily between 2005-2008, the report said next year's projected increase shows that salary expectations have stabilized, despite job losses in some regions of the country due to the economic slowdown.
The highest U.S. salary budget increase this year is in Washington, D.C., at 4 percent, just above the national average. In Canada, the energy business is driving salaries in Calgary and Edmonton - both in Alberta, the country's provincial energy hub - up by 4 percent this year, and projected at 3.9 percent in 2009.
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