Waltham, MA----Salary.com, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand Human Resources (HR) data and software, and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association (ECOA), announced the results from the 2006 Ethics & Compliance Officer Association Compensation Survey. This survey reports the compensation levels of those jobs involved with the ethics and compliance function in organizations. The findings indicate that pay for the top ethics position continues to grow at a fast clip - increasing more than 12 percent since last year for the Top Global Ethics and Compliance Officer. Organizations are continuing to value the contribution that these individuals are making in keeping their organizations "clean" and scandal-free, following the rash of high-profile corporate scandals that have plagued America for the past half decade.

Keith T. Darcy, executive director of the ECOA, said that he is not surprised at the findings. Darcy noted that the steady growth in compensation for ethics and compliance professionals coincides with growth in ECOA membership and participation in ECOA programs. "Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of their ethics and compliance office, not just in a time of crisis, but as an integral part of day to day business," said Darcy. "As a result, in addition to increasing compensation, organizations are encouraging their ethics and compliance employees to continually develop their skills through training and education programs. Never before have organizations seen the value in the work of the ethics and compliance officer as they do now."

A total of 139 organizations participated in the 2006 Survey, including some of the largest and most well known organizations in the world. Ninety-six of the organizations were public corporations, 26 were private corporations, 10 were not-for-profit and seven were governmental entities. Twenty-four participants reported revenue in excess of $20B and 32 reported having greater than 35,000 employees.

Given the increasing importance being placed on corporate ethics and compliance, Salary.com's analysis of the survey shows that top ethics executives are receiving compensation comparable to other executive-level jobs and are receiving significant amounts of long-term incentives (such as incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options and restricted stock).

The 2006 survey indicates that the average long-term incentive has actually declined. Last year's high grants may have reflected hiring awards, which are typically much higher than annual awards. While "stock options still rule" as a long-term incentive vehicle, the survey indicates that Full Value Shares (stock bonuses, restricted stock, performance shares and performance units) are growing in prominence.

Compensation levels for ethics and compliance positions continue to remain relatively consistent - not varying greatly by organization size, industry or geographic location. However, compensation levels do tend to be higher in the Northeast region of the country, specifically in the New England sub-region. Ethics and Compliance executives in the New York metropolitan area earn total cash compensation that is well above the national medians. Total cash compensation in the government and not-for-profit sectors remain significantly below the national medians.

"With every corporate scandal, it seems we receive more calls about Ethics and Compliance Officer compensation," according to Joseph Kilmartin, director of surveys at Salary.com. "Bad news seems to prod companies to act. This alone increases the demand for Ethics and Compliance professionals. Everyone wants to avoid a scandal, so they want to hire the very best candidates."

"From Enron and WorldCom, to the latest scandal regarding stock options, the risks to corporate reputation and shareholder value are enormous," Darcy noted. "The Ethics and Compliance profession has become an essential and integral function in managing risk. Ethics and Compliance Officers are the guardians of corporate integrity, and their continuing value is clearly reflected in their increased compensation."

Those interested in obtaining the survey can order a copy through the ECOA website at www.theecoa.org.

About the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association

The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association (ECOA) is a non-consulting, member-driven association exclusively for individuals who are responsible for their company's ethics, compliance, and business conduct programs. Dedicated to building trust and corporate integrity worldwide, the ECOA is the largest group of corporate ethics and compliance practitioners in the world. By bringing together people who are new to the field with those with years of experience to share, the ECOA facilitates peer-to-peer learning, and helps to foster a global commitment to ethics and integrity.

The ECOA offers an annual conference for ethics and compliance professionals, professional development workshops, periodic web casts, and regional forums that provide members the opportunity for education and discussion on recent legislation. In addition, the ECOA publishes a monthly newsletter, daily news updates, and houses a library containing ethics and compliance program materials from more than 350 member companies, along with business videos, DVDs, magazines and books.

The ECOA is a non-profit, 501(c) (6) association, which derives all of its revenue from members' dues, conferences and other meeting fees, and financial contributions. ECOA members represent nearly 600 companies worldwide in over 30 industries. To learn more about the ECOA, please visit the website at www.theecoa.org or call 781-647-9333.

About Salary.com, Inc.

Salary.com is a leading provider of HR data and software for helping businesses and individuals manage pay and performance. Salary.com provides flexible on-demand technology integrated with salary and executive compensation data that is certified by a team of more than 60 Certified Compensation Professionals. Our tools enable everyone from large enterprises to small business owners and individuals to link pay to performance and make fast and accurate decisions that deliver superior results. For more information, visit http://www.salary.com.

Ethics and Compliance Officer Association

Ethics and Compliance Officer Association

The ECOA is a nonconsulting, member-driven association exclusively serving individuals responsible for their organization's ethics, compliance, and business conduct programs. Dedicated to building trust and organizational integrity worldwide, the ECOA is the most-respected group of ethics and compliance practitioners in the world. By gathering those new to the field along with seasoned professionals, the ECOA facilitates peer-to-peer learning and helps to foster a global commitment to business ethics and integrity. Over 1,250 ECOA members represent nearly 525 organizations worldwide in over 30 industries. The ECOA hosts the ethics and compliance community's largest annual conference as well as professional development workshops, webcasts, and regional forums that offer its members invaluable learning and discussion. In addition, the ECOA publishes daily news updates and houses an e-Library containing ethics and compliance program materials from hundreds of organizations, along with training videos, DVDs, magazines, and books. To learn more about the ECOA, please visit www.theecoa.org or call 781-647-9333.

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