Compa Ratio Calculator
Compare pay with its range for one employee or a whole team, build a pay scale from a midpoint, and plan raises within your budget. Free, no sign-up.
Work out
Pay
The pay range (yearly)
Compa ratio
Enter the pay and the range.
General information, not legal, tax or HR advice. See our Terms.
Keeping positions and teams in order?
Everyone in one list, with who they report to
Position, department, type, manager and status for each person. People who have left move to a separate list.
Pay range spreads by structure type
Average spread (maximum − minimum, as a share of the minimum), narrowest and widest ranges.
| Structure | Narrowest ranges | Widest ranges |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional | 36.5% | 51.3% |
| Market-based | 45.7% | 65.3% |
| Pure market pricing | 39.7% | 54.6% |
| Step | 27.7% | 37.2% |
| Broadbands | 129.9% | 213.8% |
Source: WorldatWork and Deloitte, 2019 Survey of Salary Structure Policies and Practices. The survey publishes no spread by job level.
Frequently asked questions
Salary ÷ the midpoint of the pay range. $57,000 against a $60,000 midpoint is 0.95, or 95%. To build the range itself from a midpoint, use the salary range calculator in the tool.
1.00 means pay at the midpoint, the market rate the range is built around. Below 1.00 is common for people new to a role; well above it usually means long tenure or a range that needs updating. The flags matter most: pay below the minimum or above the maximum.
Where the salary sits between the range minimum and maximum: (salary − minimum) ÷ (maximum − minimum). $57,000 in a $50,000 to $70,000 range is 35%.
The range builder works as a salary midpoint calculator and pay scale calculator. Pick a spread, the width of the range as a share of the minimum. Minimum = midpoint × 2 ÷ (2 + spread); maximum = minimum × (1 + spread). A $60,000 midpoint with a 50% spread gives $48,000 to $72,000.
The group ratio divides the total of salaries by the total of midpoints, so higher-paid roles weigh more. The average ratio averages each person's ratio, so every person counts the same. The calculator shows both.
Many states require a pay range in job postings, from a headcount that differs by state. The job description generator checks your state.
Related tools and calculators
- Salary Increase CalculatorA raise by percent, dollar amount or new pay, shown a year, a month, a paycheck and an hour, a team's merit matrix against a budget, and justification notes.Calculate raise
- Job Description GeneratorWrite a job description from 1,173 real role templates: edit every line, mark essential functions, check pay range laws and exempt status, copy or download Word.Write the description
- Employee Cost CalculatorThe true yearly cost of an employee: 2026 payroll taxes, your state's premiums, benefits and time off, plus labor cost % and the rate to charge.Calculate the cost
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