Brazos County Commissioners Court received a presentation at its May 5 meeting, reviewing how employees are paid as part of an ongoing compensation and benefits study. The study aims to create a more consistent and competitive pay structure. (Karley Cross/Community Impact)
Brazos County Commissioners Court received a presentation at its May 5 meeting, reviewing how employees are paid as part of an ongoing compensation and benefits study. The study aims to create a more consistent and competitive pay structure.
The setup
Consulting firm Segal presented its results after working with the county for several months to evaluate salaries, job classifications and benefits across county departments. The goal of the study is to modernize how compensation is structured while ensuring fairness for employees and responsible use of taxpayer funds.
In his presentation, Segal Vice President TL Cox said Brazos County's current pay system developed over the years by adding merit raises directly to job positions rather than individual employees and over time, that approach created several challenges:
Pay drift: Some salaries grew faster than market rates.
Compression: New hires sometimes earn nearly the same pay as long-tenured employees.
Inequities: Employees doing similar work may receive different pay depending on hiring history.
Consulting firm Segal presented its results after working with the county for several months to evaluate salaries, job classifications and benefits across county departments. (Courtesy Segal via Brazos County)
Segal compared Brazos County salaries with 12 peer organizations, including the cities of Bryan and College Station, plus Texas A&M University. The analysis found:
County pay is generally competitive overall.
Starting pay levels are often above market averages.
Pay competitiveness decreases slightly when compared with local employers, which tend to offer higher wages.
The approach
The study recommended the county to create standardized salary ranges grouped into four categories:
Nonexempt positions: $29,200-103,278
Exempt positions: $43,040-184,197
Executive leadership roles: $52,846-205,834
Sworn law enforcement positions: $52,174-143,332
Under the proposed system, each job classification would have a defined pay range instead of salaries changing based on individual history.
Employees currently paid above future ranges would be grandfathered, meaning their pay would not be reduced.
Next steps
Human resources staff are now meeting with departments to finalize job classifications and correct data inconsistencies.
Employees currently paid above future ranges would be grandfathered, meaning their pay would not be reduced. (Courtesy Segal via Brazos County)
This work is expected to continue through the spring with cost estimates to be completed in June. Potential changes will be considered as part of the county's fiscal year 2026-27 budget process.
County Director of Human Resources Jennifer Salazar affirmed that there are no layoffs nor pay cuts associated with this study.
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