In my previous life as a local chamber of commerce CEO, a board member once told me, “In God we trust; all others bring data.” I took that lesson to heart, especially when it was time to negotiate salaries — either my own or those of my employees.
Nowhere could I find better industry-specific data on salary and benefit trends than the information provided by W.A.C.E. The staff salary survey data proved invaluable. And the customized CEO salary reviews W.A.C.E. prepared for me helped me negotiate increases in my pay and benefits over the years.
W.A.C.E. CEO compensation information is collected through a confidential survey. An important note is that this survey data (and the rate of completion amongst our members) is vital to having accurate data and a true picture of compensation at various sizes of chambers. We appreciate the level of completion (historically around 70%) and encourage you to respond.
Customized Memo
Unlike the association’s staff salary and benefit survey, where the results are released in a report, W.A.C.E. responds to requests with a customized memo for each chamber executive.
We prepare a summary based on the responses received for chambers with similar membership and revenue totals. We provide you with the number of chambers that are similar in size and revenue, we give you the ranges of both membership numbers and revenue so you can get a picture of how the sample organizations compare to yours.
Finally, we give you the salary range, salary average, and reported benefits, retirement and bonus/incentive compensation those executives receive.
Members-Only Benefit
Access to W.A.C.E. salary and benefit information is a members-only benefit. Because W.A.C.E. is an association of chamber executives, not chambers of commerce, the information is not usually provided directly to volunteer leaders.
We generally provide the information directly to volunteer leaders only in two circumstances: the chamber chief executive has approved, or the organization is using the information to design a competitive benefits package for a CEO search.
The salary survey information is a critical tool in our efforts to support our members and the chamber executive profession, by assisting you in negotiating fair and market-rate compensation.
If you have questions about the CEO salary survey, please contact me at (916) 930-1202 or nick.ortiz@calchamber.com.