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External competitiveness
How employer pay compares with the labor market.
What does it mean?
External competitiveness describes how an employer’s pay compares with similar work in the market it recruits from.
Why does it matter?
Market comparisons can inform hiring and retention decisions.
How can it affect my pay or career?
Ask which jobs, locations, survey dates and pay components the employer uses. A market benchmark is context, not a guaranteed salary.
Sources & dates
CCS content reviewed October 7, 2026. A review date is not a law’s effective date. Where a source has no single effective date, it is labeled as reference guidance. Open the official source for updates.
- BLS • OEWS wage definitions (opens in a new tab)
Reference: OEWS definitions; no single effective date
- Larimer County government • Compensation terms and definitions (opens in a new tab)
Reference: compensation definitions; no single effective date