Salary research

We deliver compensation insights in four formats, from rapid benchmarking for a single role to industry-wide market studies.

Who We Are
Since 2018

conducting proprietary compensation research

4 data source types

combined based on the role, market and data availability

4 markets and regions

Ukraine, Europe, the United States and Latin America

500,000+ profiles

in our database for building targeted samples

Compensation research options

1. Salary Benchmarking
When robust data already exists for a role in Indigo’s database and other market sources, we validate role comparability, calculate percentiles and present market pay ranges.
Best for: roles well represented in our database when you need reliable data without commissioning a separate study.

2. Custom Compensation Benchmarking
When existing data is insufficient, we analyze public and proprietary sources and collect new data directly from the market.
Best for: entering a new market, benchmarking a niche or newly created role, or aligning data with your internal job-leveling framework.

3. Industry Salary Reports
Prebuilt compensation reports for specific industries and market segments, providing a standardized view of the market. Scope and access are tailored to your needs.
Best for: obtaining an industry benchmark without commissioning a custom study.

4. Indigo Public Research
Since 2018, our team has conducted a longitudinal study of compensation practices across IT companies. It tracks current market levels and changes in compensation and total rewards structures.
Best for: understanding the market at the industry level. Participating companies receive access to the findings.

The latest C-level compensation report in tech >

How we build reliable compensation benchmarks

Extensive Talent Pool.

Data sources

The Indigo database
Over 500,000 technology professionals. We draw on it to identify comparable roles and build a target sample tailored to each study.
Live hiring data
Candidates’ compensation expectations, accepted offers and the outcomes of roles we’ve actually closed – real deal data, not self-reported surveys.
Market research
Published and proprietary industry reports, professional-platform statistics and local sources, cross-checked against one another for every market we cover.
Direct surveys
Data gathered straight from the market for specific roles whenever the available sample is too thin to support a reliable conclusion.

Extensive Talent Pool.

Method

Role levelling
We define seniority by responsibility, complexity and scope of impact.
Job matching
We compare the substance of the work and its context, not the job title.
Data validation
We clean the sample, flag anomalies and remove irrelevant data points.
Percentile modelling
We map the full market distribution, never a single average.
Cross-validation
We reconcile results across sources and surface any discrepancies.
Sample transparency
We state the actual N and its limits – and never pass off a small sample as the whole market.

When compensation research adds value

Executive Search

Scaling your team
You need to set hiring budgets and determine whether your offers are competitive.

Executive Search

Reviewing your compensation framework
You are updating job levels or pay ranges and need current market data to support your decisions.

Executive Search

Entering a new market
You need data for a country or region where your company has not hired before or lacks sufficient internal benchmarks.

Executive Search

Preparing for pay transparency requirements
You need to document pay ranges and explain the objective criteria and market data behind them.

Get a scope and estimate >

FAQ

An off-the-shelf report provides a broad market benchmark but may not reflect the actual scope of your roles, job-leveling framework, degree of responsibility or hiring geography. We tailor the research to your specific needs, disclose the actual sample and provide practical recommendations for budgeting and setting pay ranges.
From two to six weeks. Timing depends on the number of roles, geographies and availability of current data. Benchmarking a role with a sufficient sample takes less time; custom research that requires direct data collection takes longer. We confirm the scope, methodology and timeline after reviewing your list of roles.
You will receive percentile data for each role and level, details on compensation structure, sources and sample size, your company's position relative to the market and recommendations for pay ranges. We deliver the findings in an Excel workbook and presentation, then discuss them with your team in a Q&A session.
Yes. You can commission research for one critical position or a specific function, or compare multiple roles and markets.
Yes. We conduct research across Ukraine, Europe, the United States and Latin America, adapting our methodology and sources to each local market.
Directive (EU) 2023/970 requires employers to provide candidates with the initial pay level or range, either in the job posting or before the interview. Employees have broader rights to pay information, while employers are subject to gender pay gap reporting based on company size and applicable timelines. EU Member States were required to transpose the Directive into national law by June 7, 2026. Specific requirements vary by country.   To establish defensible pay ranges, companies need: a clear job-leveling framework; comparable roles; objective leveling criteria; documented market data; and a transparent methodology. Indigo's compensation research helps support pay ranges with external market data.
No. The research provides external market data to support pay ranges. It does not replace an internal assessment of work of equal value, an analysis of actual pay or a legal review of the compensation framework. Full compliance may also require internal job evaluation, equal pay analysis, pay gap analysis and legal counsel.