By Meredith W. Salisbury

Back in the day, “compensation” and “salary” were often considered synonymous. Today, so much goes into building a compensation package that an employee’s salary is just one component. What do you get for a patented invention? Are you up for tenure? Will your employer offer — and contribute to — a 401(k)? Any salary survey worth its salt has to be able to give you information on these and many other aspects of compensation.