HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026 HR Banking Officer salary survey
To: Ryan Barrett, County Manager
From: Rachel Lester, Interim HR Operations Manager
Date: May 28, 2026
RE: Investment and Banking Officer Salary Analysis
Human Resources recently completed a salary analysis for the Investment and Banking Officer (IBO) position
within the Lewis County Treasurer’s Office using comparable county data and external market review.
Among our comparable counties, several Treasurer’s Offices assign investment and banking responsibilities to
a Chief Deputy Treasurer position that also oversees office operations and staff management. Only one
comparable county, Cowlitz County, maintained a position substantially similar to Lewis County’s IBO role, and
its salary range was lower than Lewis County’s current range, which is not typical. Based solely on salary
comparison and excluding differences in duties and responsibilities, the Lewis County IBO position appears to
be competitively compensated within the comparable market. Current salary levels are approximately 15.2%
above comparables at entry level, 22.5% above at mid-range, and 25% above at the top step.
Because the position is unique and historically difficult to recruit for, Human Resources also reviewed salary
data from additional counties outside the comparable market. Thurston County, a neighboring competitor,
maintains a lower salary range than Lewis County for similar work. Pierce and Skagit Counties were generally
consistent with Lewis County’s range, while Clark County was slightly higher. Kitsap and Whatcom Counties were
significantly above Lewis County’s range, which is expected given their substantially larger budgets, revenues,
and populations. Overall, compared to the broader external market, the Lewis County IBO position falls below
the 55th percentile benchmark by approximately 7.8% at entry level, 10.3% at mid-range, and 10.5% at the top
step.
Based on the analysis and the Board of County Commissioners’ compensation philosophy, Human Resources
does not recommend a salary adjustment for the position at this time unless future recruitment efforts fail to
produce qualified applicants. During the most recent recruitment, the position remained open for one month
and received eight applicants, five of whom met the minimum qualifications. While recruitment at the current
pay range may present challenges in attracting highly qualified candidates, the County’s new recruitment
platform may improve outreach and expand the applicant pool.