Lake to River Economic Development is asking employers in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties to participate in a comprehensive wage and benefit survey designed to give the region’s businesses a clearer picture of local compensation trends.

The survey collects detailed, position-level data on wages, salaries and benefit offerings from employers throughout the four-county region. Categories covered include base pay, bonus and incentive structures, health and retirement benefits, paid time off and remote work policies. The resulting dataset will give participants a tool grounded in local market realities rather than statewide or national averages that often miss the nuances of Eastern Ohio’s economy.

Employers that complete the 20- to 30-minute survey will receive a complete report of the findings at no cost. The report will include benchmarking data by job category, industry and county, giving participants an actionable resource for talent decisions ranging from new hire offers to retention planning to benefits package design. An executive-level summary of results will be made public in September.

Companies with 10 or more employees in manufacturing, logistics and distribution, aerospace and defense, technology, healthcare and professional services are especially encouraged to participate, though responses from other employers are welcome.

“Reliable, region-specific wage and benefit data is one of the most useful tools we can put in front of employers across our four counties, because it equips them to make the talent decisions that fuel growth here,” said Dani Robbins, Lake to River CEO. “Helping our employers compete for and keep the workers they need is core economic development work, and this survey delivers data they cannot get anywhere else.”

Participation is open to employers of all sizes and industries in the four-county region. The survey is confidential, and individual company responses will not be shared or attributed. Lake to River is asking employers to submit responses by Aug. 25.

Visit laketoriverohio.org/wage-benefits-survey for multiple ways to access the survey. Contact Michelle Phillips, Lake to River research director, at michelle@laketoriverohio.org with any questions.