Printing United Alliance Session Sheds Light on Pay Transparency and Compensation Trends

At this year’s PRINTING United Expo in Orlando, human resources and economic experts from the PRINTING United Alliance delivered an informative and eye-opening session on two pressing topics facing the printing industry today: pay transparency and evolving compensation trends.

The presentation, led by Adrian Harrison, Vice President of HR Consulting for PRINTING United Alliance, and Onamica Dhar, an economist with the organization, provided a look into the realities of pay equity, workforce demographics, and the results of the Alliance’s recent Wage, Salary, and Benefits Report—a survey involving more than 500 companies representing over 13,000 employees.

“If you don’t know what pay transparency is, you’re going to learn—and you’re going to learn why it’s important for you to know what it is,” Harrison told the audience as she opened her talk. “It’s not just about compliance; it’s about fairness, culture, and keeping your best people.”

The Power and Pain of Pay Transparency

Harrison’s presentation began by defining pay transparency, which is the practice of publicly sharing pay ranges or “pay bands” for job positions, both internally and externally. She explained that many U.S. states and municipalities now require pay transparency, with more poised to follow. The purpose, she said, is to “even the playing field for women and people of color,” reducing the historic pay inequities created by bias and secrecy.

“When you post a job now in certain jurisdictions,” she explained, “you have to include the pay range. That sounds simple, but if you haven’t been transparent before, it’s a big lift. You have to look back at all your existing employees and make sure their pay aligns with what you’re advertising.”

Harrison illustrated the concept with a familiar example: “Imagine you’ve got warehouse workers making $15 an hour, and now the labor market forces you to hire new ones at $18. The old employees see it and feel betrayed—and they’ll leave. That’s wage compression, and it kills morale if you don’t address it.”

She also warned companies to review internal policies prohibiting employees from discussing pay. “Those policies are now illegal under the National Labor Relations Act and under most pay transparency laws,” she said. “People have to be able to talk about their compensation.”

Despite the challenges, Harrison emphasized that transparency brings measurable benefits. “Seventy-eight percent of workers want pay transparency,” she said. “And here’s what’s really interesting: 68% would switch jobs for it—even if the pay was the same.”

She added that companies with transparent pay structures see up to “30% higher job satisfaction and retention,” according to data from Glassdoor.

The Economic Context: A Shrinking Workforce

Before turning the stage over to Dhar, Harrison shared labor force trends that underscore the urgency of adapting compensation strategies. “Fertility rates and immigration are down,” she said. “We don’t have enough new workers entering the pipeline, and baby boomers are leaving the workforce at a rate of 11,000 per day.”

This, she warned, means that companies must “plan strategically for fewer workers,” which may include investing in automation and retention. “Your people are going to stay put right now because they’re afraid of the economy,” she said, “so this is the perfect time to build a culture that makes them want to stay.”

Harrison also noted that employer costs are climbing, especially for healthcare. “Total compensation for non-union workers is now averaging about $45.42 per hour, with $14.50 of that coming from benefits costs,” she explained. “That’s the part that’s skyrocketing.”

Survey Insights: What the Data Shows

Economist Onamica Dhar then presented findings from the Alliance’s biennial Wage, Salary, and Benefits Report, which breaks down compensation by region, company size, and job title.

“This year, more than 500 companies participated,” she said, “covering over 13,000 employees across sectors like commercial printing, packaging, signage, apparel decoration, and in-plant operations.”

Among the report’s key findings:
• 95.3% of companies offer paid time off, and 96.5% provide paid holidays.
• 82.8% offer medical insurance, while 83.7% provide 401(k) plans.
• 58% of companies have a bonus program, most of which are tied to company performance.
• The majority of employers (64.3%) either increased, or planned to increase, base salaries in 2024, citing inflation, performance, and retention as the top reasons for doing so.

Age demographics revealed another important trend. “Over a quarter of the workforce is 55 or older,” Dhar noted, “and only a small portion are under 30. That’s a sign of an aging industry that needs to focus on attracting younger workers.”
When it comes to compensation strategy, she emphasized that the report provides valuable benchmarking data. “Whether you have 10 employees or 200,” she said, “you can see exactly how similar companies are compensating by role, by size, and by region. It’s a tool for competitive and fair pay decisions.”

Why It Matters

Harrison and Dhar both urged companies to use the data not only for compliance but for culture-building.
“Pay transparency is not a boogeyman,” Harrison said. “It’s a big transition, yes—but it can actually save money. When people know the ranges, they self-select into jobs, negotiations are more predictable, and you don’t waste time chasing candidates who were never going to take your offer.”

She added that transparency also improves internal communication: “Employees often don’t understand what it costs to employ them: benefits, taxes, equipment, materials. When you open up that dialogue, they start to see the bigger picture, and trust goes up.”

Both closed by encouraging attendees to participate in the next survey cycle. “The more data we collect, the more valuable it becomes for everyone,” said Harrison. “It’s truly the most comprehensive look at compensation in the printing industry.”

Dhar echoed the sentiment: “Good data leads to good decisions. Whether it’s about pay transparency or benefits, understanding the numbers is the first step toward building a stronger, fairer workforce.”

The full 2025 Wage, Salary, and Benefits Report is available through PRINTING United Alliance at printing.org. Members receive discounted access to the complete 100-page report.