compensation
we publish ours.
At whereabouts, compensation is transparent, structured, and non-negotiable, in the best sense of that word. You will know exactly what a role pays before you apply for it, exactly what it takes to advance, and exactly when your raise is coming. There is no lobbying, no performance theater, no wondering if your manager likes you enough.
Here is everything. You can download a full document here.
how compensation works
Every role at whereabouts sits on one of three salary scales, Strategic, Technical, or Administrative, with defined ranges at each of five levels. Within a level, specializations command premiums at L3 and above that are published here. Ranges have clean breaks between levels: no level's ceiling reaches the next level's floor. Promotion is the only way to move between levels.
Raises happen once per year, at either the December or June review cycle depending on when your review falls. The amounts are fixed. They do not vary by performance, by negotiation, or by how much you push. They are the same for everyone at the same level.
Executives follow a separate step progression within a defined band.
strategic track
Strategic roles cover consulting, advisory, and client relationships.
| Level | Title | Range | Annual Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Associate Consultant | $85,000 – $100,000 | +$5,000 |
| L2 | Consultant | $101,000 – $122,000 | +$6,000 |
| L3 | Senior Consultant | $123,000 – $152,000 | +$8,000 |
| L4 | Staff Consultant | $153,000 – $188,000 | +$10,000 |
| L5 | Managing Consultant | $189,000 – $235,000 | +$12,000 |
technical track
Technical roles cover systems, development, and delivery.
| Level | Title | Range | Annual Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Technical Associate | $85,000 – $100,000 | +$5,000 |
| L2 | Technical Analyst | $101,000 – $122,000 | +$6,000 |
| L3 | Senior Technical Analyst | $123,000 – $152,000 | +$8,000 |
| L4 | Staff Engineer | $153,000 – $188,000 | +$10,000 |
| L5 | Managing Engineer | $189,000 – $235,000 | +$12,000 |
administrative track
Administrative roles cover operations, finance, people and culture, and the infrastructure that keeps the firm running.
| Level | Title | Range | Annual Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Administrative Associate | $60,000 – $72,000 | +$4,000 |
| L2 | Coordinator | $73,000 – $90,000 | +$5,000 |
| L3 | Manager | $91,000 – $112,000 | +$6,000 |
| L4 | Director | $130,000 – $165,000 | +$9,000 |
| L5 | Managing Director | $166,000 – $210,000 | +$11,000 |
executive track
All C-suite roles, like CTO, CSO, COO, CFO, are on the same band. Equal pay across the executive team, including the CEO.
| Year | Salary | Annual Raise |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $260,000 | +$12,000 |
| Year 2 | $272,000 | +$12,000 |
| Year 3 | $284,000 | +$12,000 |
| Year 4 | $296,000 | +$12,000 |
| Year 5 | $308,000 | +$12,000 |
| Year 6+ | $320,000 | — |
specialization premiums
At Level 3 and above, certain specializations command a premium on top of the base range for that level. Premiums are added to both the floor and ceiling of the range.
Example: A Senior Technical Analyst (L3) specializing in Software & Application Development has a range of $138,000 – $167,000 ($123k–$152k base + $15k premium).
| Track | Specialization | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative | Engagement Coordination | Base |
| Administrative | Operations & Practice Management | Base |
| Administrative | People & Culture | Base |
| Administrative | Finance | +$8,000 |
| Strategic | Organizational Consulting | Base |
| Strategic | Client & Market Development | +$5,000 |
| Strategic | Platform Selection | +$8,000 |
| Technical | Cartography | Base |
| Technical | Analytics & Visualization | +$5,000 |
| Technical | Solutions Development | +$8,000 |
| Technical | Systems & Infrastructure | +$10,000 |
| Technical | Software & Application Development | +$15,000 |
raises
Raises happen once per year at either the December or June review cycle, whichever cycle your annual review falls in as determined by start date. The amount is fixed by track and level. It does not change based on performance reviews, manager discretion, or any other variable.
Raises apply from your starting salary within your level's range and step up annually until you reach the level ceiling. The next step up from the ceiling is promotion.
Cost of living: In any year where the Consumer Price Index exceeds 3%, an automatic across-the-board cost of living adjustment is applied to all salaries in addition to standard raises. This is not discretionary. It is automatic and applies to everyone.
promotion
general information
Promotions are reviewed at both the December and June cycles. To be eligible for promotion at a given cycle, you must meet the minimum tenure requirement for your current level within 60 days of that cycle date.
Tenure minimums are floors, not guarantees. Meeting the minimum time requirement makes you eligible for promotion review, but it does not mean promotion is automatic. Promotion also requires demonstrated competency at the next level, assessed during the review cycle.
Promotion moves you from the ceiling of your current level to the floor of the next. Specialization premiums are applied at the new level for L3 and above.
Above L5: Staff who reach the ceiling of L5 and are not yet moving into an executive role will have their compensation reviewed individually. We will address it honestly when we get there.
| Level | Minimum Time at Level |
|---|---|
| L1 | 2 years |
| L2 | 2 years |
| L3 | 3 years |
| L4 | 3 years |
| L5 | 4 years |
promotion criteria
Promotion at whereabouts is hybrid in that it requires both minimum tenure and demonstrated readiness. Time creates a floor. Readiness determines whether you move.
Level 1 → Level 2
Consistent independent execution on defined tasks. Reliable communication and delivery. Beginning to develop specialization. No consistent supervision needed on standard work.
Level 2 → Level 3
Demonstrated specialization depth. Independent management of moderate-complexity work. Credible client interaction without oversight. Mentoring Level 1 colleagues as a natural part of how you work.
Level 3 → Level 4
Leading engagements or significant workstreams independently. Senior client relationships managed well. Contribution to firm practice beyond individual delivery. Judgment on complex or ambiguous situations.
Level 4 → Level 5
Firm-wide track leadership. Business development contribution. Setting standards for others. Trusted by clients and colleagues as a senior voice. Building and developing the people below them.
Level 5 → Executive
Separate conversation. Not on a standard timeline.
bonuses & distributions
Your salary is your guaranteed compensation. It does not depend on firm performance, utilization, or any other variable. Bonuses and profit sharing are upside. Meaningful when they happen, but never a substitute for the base pay you can count on.
August bonus
$3,000 paid every August to all staff. The amount is the same regardless of level, track, tenure, or title. The August bonus reflects the prior fiscal year's performance. In a year where the firm generated no profit in the prior fiscal year, executives do not receive the August bonus. All other staff receive it regardless.
February profit sharing
Each February, 33% of the prior year's net profit is distributed among all staff, including executives, based on total calendar days of service during the employee’s most recent tenure with whereabouts. Longer tenure means a proportionally larger share.
Net profit means revenue after all expenses have been paid, including salaries, benefits, overhead, and reinvestment. Profit sharing is distributed from what's left. In a year with no net profit, there is no distribution. This is not a reflection of individual performance. It reflects the firm's overall financial health that year.
The remaining profit is split equally between the owner and a firm reinvestment fund for growth, research, and development. We will always share where the firm stands financially before February so there are no surprises about what to expect.
What this means in practice
In a strong year, profit sharing is a meaningful additional distribution on top of your salary. In a lean year, your salary, raises, and August bonus are unaffected. Only the profit sharing distribution changes. The firm is designed so that base compensation is never at risk based on business performance.
qualifications
whereabouts does not require specific degrees for any role. What matters is demonstrated competency at the relevant level, whether that comes from formal education, professional experience, self-directed learning, or some combination. The guidelines below describe what typically prepares someone for each level, not what is required.
Technical Track
Level 1 — Technical Associate
Bachelor's degree in GIS, Geography, Computer Science, Data Science, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, Biology, or a related field with 0–2 years of professional or graduate-level experience. Or: Associate's degree in a relevant technical field with 2–4 years of hands-on experience. Or: demonstrated technical competency through portfolio work, certifications, or equivalent self-directed experience without a formal degree.
Level 2 — Technical Analyst
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with 2–4 years of professional experience. Or: Master's degree in GIS, Geography, Computer Science, or related field with 0–2 years. Or: demonstrated equivalent experience with a developing specialization.
Level 3 — Senior Technical Analyst
Bachelor's degree with 4–7 years of professional experience and demonstrated specialization depth. Or: Master's degree with 3–5 years. Esri technical certifications or equivalent specialist credentials relevant at this level.
Level 4 — Staff Engineer
Bachelor's degree with 7–10 years of professional experience including demonstrated technical leadership. Or: Master's degree with 5–8 years. Track record of leading technical components of engagements and mentoring junior practitioners.
Level 5 — Managing Engineer
Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of professional experience including demonstrated firm-level technical leadership. Or: Master's degree with 8+ years. Evidence of external technical authority (published work, conference presentations, or equivalent) welcome but not required.
Strategic Track
Level 1 — Associate Consultant
Bachelor's degree in any field with 0–2 years of consulting, client-facing, research, or analytical experience. Or: Master's degree (MBA, MPA, MPH, or related) entering consulting. Strong analytical and communication skills are the primary qualification at this level.
Level 2 — Consultant
Bachelor's degree with 2–4 years of relevant professional experience. Or: Master's degree with 0–2 years. Beginning to develop a functional specialization.
Level 3 — Senior Consultant
Bachelor's degree with 4–7 years of consulting or directly relevant professional experience with demonstrated specialization. Or: Master's degree with 3–5 years. Track record of leading client-facing work independently.
Level 4 — Staff Consultant
Bachelor's degree with 7–10 years of consulting or senior advisory experience. Or: Master's degree with 5–8 years. Established client relationships and demonstrated business development contribution.
Level 5 — Managing Consultant
Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of consulting or practice leadership experience. Or: Master's degree with 8+ years. Demonstrated ability to build and lead a consulting practice.
Administrative Track
Level 1 — Administrative Associate
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Operations, Public Administration, or a related field with 0–2 years of professional administrative experience. Or: Associate's degree with 2–4 years of demonstrated operational competency. Or: equivalent experience without a formal degree.
Level 2 — Coordinator
Bachelor's degree with 2–4 years of professional experience in their functional area. Or: demonstrated operational competency through equivalent experience.
Level 3 — Manager
Bachelor's degree with 4–7 years of professional experience in their functional area. Relevant certifications encouraged: CPA or CMA for Finance, SHRM-CP for People & Culture, or equivalent credentials. Demonstrated ability to own and improve a functional process independently.
Level 4 — Director
Bachelor's degree with 7–10 years of professional experience including demonstrated management responsibility. Or: Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field with 5–8 years. Senior certifications relevant: CPA for Finance, SHRM-SCP for People & Culture.
Level 5 — Managing Director
Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of professional experience including demonstrated senior leadership of a functional area. Or: Master's degree with 7+ years. Track record of strategic contribution beyond operational management. Senior certifications relevant: CPA for Finance, SHRM-SCP for People & Culture.
Executive
C-suite roles require demonstrated executive-level leadership, typically 15+ years of progressive professional experience with significant organizational leadership responsibility. It’s important to note that actual experience and formal education backgrounds vary widely at this level and are less determinative than track record and demonstrated capability.
a few other things worth knowing
no negotiation
Compensation at whereabouts is not negotiable. The ranges, raises, and premiums published here are what we pay. We set them to be genuinely strong, above market, transparent, and fair, so that nobody has to fight for what they deserve. If you are offered a role, you will be offered what the role pays. That is the offer.
no commission
whereabouts does not pay commission. Business development, client relationships, and bringing in new work are expectations of the role at senior levels, not a separate incentive structure. We believe commission creates the wrong incentives for a firm built on honest advisory. If we are recommending something to a client, it is because it is right for them, not because someone's paycheck depends on it.
Internal pay transparency
Everyone at whereabouts knows what everyone else earns. Salaries, raises, bonuses, and profit sharing distributions are not confidential internally. We believe pay secrecy protects inequity and creates exactly the kind of environment we are trying not to build. If you work here, you have access to full compensation information across the firm. We expect that knowledge to be handled with professionalism and used to hold us accountable, not to create conflict.
full-time is 32 hours
All salary ranges on this page are for full-time employment. Full-time at whereabouts is 32 hours per week. Salaries are not prorated for a 32-hour schedule. 32 hours is the full-time standard.
starting salary
Where you start within a level's range depends on your experience and background coming in. We will tell you where and why during the hiring process.
no surprises
We scope compensation the same way we scope client engagements: transparently and upfront. You will know what you earn, what you will earn next year, and what it takes to earn more before you sign anything.
Questions
If something here is unclear or you want to understand how it applies to a specific role, ask us. geospatial@whereaboutsco.com