These increases were higher in 2007--when the survey wasperformed--than those reported in 2005. In 2005, executivesreceived an average merit increase of 6.1%, managers and otheremployees received 5.7% and 4.4% respectively. "Salaries have beenrising sharply over the last 10 years," Elizabeth Sherrod, researchdirector tells GlobeSt.com.

Beyond those generalizations, though, trends need to be brokendown to provide an accurate picture of the compensation rates. Evencomparing this report to the one in 2006 is difficult, she says,because the same companies do not report year after year. "It isnever an apples-to-apples comparison."

Much, for instance, has to do with the size of the company withlarger companies not surprisingly paying more than smaller ones.CEOs in companies with annual gross revenue of $5 million or less,for instance, earn a median total compensation of $175,000. Thosein companies with annual gross revenue more than $100 million,however, earn a median total compensation of $712,800. Also,publicly traded companies and REITs pay the highest levels ofcompensation. Median total compensation for a CFO at a REIT is$460,000, while private companies pay $267,200.