Membership and revenue teams
Benchmark membership development, sponsorship and partnerships roles by responsibility, team leadership and revenue accountability.
Associations & membership organizations
Compensation Consulting for Associations and Membership Organizations
Association teams do more than their job titles suggest. JER HR Group helps trade associations, professional societies and membership organizations benchmark specialized roles, review executive pay and build salary structures that reflect their responsibilities, labor markets and budgets.
Discuss an Association Compensation StudyThe challenge
Association jobs do not always fit standard salary benchmarks.
A membership director might lead recruitment, retention, sponsorships and revenue strategy at one association, but oversee a narrower function at another. Effective market comparisons start with what employees actually do—not similar job titles.
Association-specific benchmarking matters: ASAE's 2026–2027 Compensation & Benefits Study includes 69 positions drawn from more than 400 participating associations.
Education and credentialing
Compare certification, learning, events and professional development roles using relevant job scope, not just their titles.
Executive and board decisions
Build a documented pay rationale for CEOs and senior leaders with comparable responsibilities and organizational complexity.
Our approach
Match the work first. Then evaluate the market.
01. Define the decisions
Identify whether you need an association-wide salary structure, an executive pay review or focused benchmarking for selected roles. Agree on stakeholders, data and timing.
02. Review the roles
Assess job descriptions, reporting relationships, required expertise and decision authority across membership, education, events, advocacy and operations.
03. Compare relevant markets
Select appropriate association peers and broader labor markets where needed. Evaluate survey relevance, role matches, pay ranges and internal alignment.
04. Make findings actionable
Translate the analysis into salary positioning, pay structure options, implementation priorities and, when in scope, board-ready executive compensation findings.
Engagement deliverables
Compensation recommendations your association can put to work.
An engagement can focus on specialized association roles, CEO and executive compensation, or the full staff salary structure. Depending on scope, deliverables may include peer selection criteria, documented job matches, salary benchmarking, pay-range options, compensation administration guidance and materials for leadership or board review.
Explore staff compensation consultingWhy JER HR Group
Compensation expertise for complex association roles.
JER HR Group's compensation practice includes job analysis, market pricing, executive pay and governance documentation; our nonprofit work also encompasses membership associations. We help association leaders translate relevant market survey findings into workable pay structures and salary ranges that reflect job scope, budget and decision-making responsibilities.
Explore executive compensation consultingAssociation compensation questions
Answers for association CEOs, HR directors, CFOs and boards evaluating salary benchmarking and compensation consulting.
1. How is association compensation consulting different from a salary survey?+
A survey supplies compensation figures. Consulting helps you determine which data match your organization's actual roles, whether association or broader labor-market peers are appropriate and how findings should guide pay decisions.
2. Which association positions can be included in a study?+
A study can include membership, certification, education, events, marketing, advocacy, finance, technology, HR and executive positions. The exact jobs depend on the agreed scope and should be matched by responsibilities and level.
3. Can we review association CEO and executive compensation?+
Yes. An executive-pay review may assess appropriate comparability data, total compensation elements and job scope, with materials prepared for board or committee decisions where relevant. Tax and governance requirements depend on the organization's status.
4. Should we benchmark only against other associations?+
Not always. Association-specific peers are valuable for membership, credentialing and advocacy positions, while finance, technology and HR roles may also compete in wider labor markets. Comparison sources should fit the role and data quality.
5. How much does an association compensation study cost, and how long does it take?+
Cost and timing depend on the number and complexity of jobs, available market data, whether executive pay is included, and the reporting scope. A focused review is generally narrower than an association-wide compensation structure engagement. JER HR Group can discuss the scope and prepare a proposal.
6. What information should we prepare before requesting consulting?+
Start with an organizational chart, job descriptions, locations, salary ranges or compensation policies, and the decisions you need to make. Note any board deadlines or difficult-to-fill positions. Arrange a secure transfer method before sharing employee pay records.
Let's talk about association compensation
Make your next association pay decision easier to support.
Whether you're benchmarking specialized roles, reviewing executive pay or updating salary structures, JER HR Group can help define the study and practical next steps.
Discuss your association compensation needs
