HEC’s recently released 2012 Pay Rates in Hawaii shows that the average percent change from year 2011 to year 2012 for selected white collar jobs is 3.4 percent and for selected service and blue collar jobs is 3.2 percent. The 66th annual Pay Rates in Hawaii survey was conducted during July through September 2012 covering 103 different jobs including clerical, trade, service, technical, and professional occupations in 270 private companies and government agencies in Hawaii.

The pay rates survey gives members an opportunity to see whether certain jobs in the organization are competitive in the community. Actual percentage amounts in the survey may vary based on different participating companies and jobs reported for each particular survey report; modifications were done to the survey job descriptions three years ago in order to be consistent with the National (EAA) Wage and Salary Survey, and this may have also affected job matches of the reported data. Data may also be affected by the ongoing economic downturn which may result in minimal or decreases of average rates, so increases in average pay rates from year to year should be viewed as general trends or indicators rather than precise measurements.