US Employers Stick With Moderate Pay Increases for 2027, According to Marsh’s Mercer QuickPulse® Survey

US Employers Stick With Moderate Pay Increases for 2027, According to Marsh’s Mercer QuickPulse® Survey

Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a leading global professional services firm, today released the results of its July 2026 Mercer QuickPulse® US Compensation Planning Survey. Mercer, a people and investments leader, is transitioning to the Marsh brand in September.

The survey of 1,001 U.S. organizations found that employers on average plan to set base salary merit increases at 3.2% and total salary increases at 3.5% in 2027—including merit, promotions, cost-of-living, and other adjustments—roughly in line with the actual increases employers reported in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Industry budgets vary. High Tech (3.8%), Banking (3.7%), Energy (3.6%), Insurance/Reinsurance (3.6%), and Non-Financial Services (3.6%) set the largest merit budgets, while Consumer Goods (2.9%), Healthcare (3.0%), and Retail (3.0%) lagged the market for merit budgets.

Economic uncertainty continues to shape compensation