Basic monthly salary (HK$): the present monthly salary excluding any bonuses (both guaranteed and non-guaranteed bonuses) but including commission in a particular job position. The present salary was recorded as at 1 September 2008.

Predicted adjustment (%): the predicted adjustment of a basic monthly salary in a particular job position in 2008

Employees: it refers to those full-time salaried employees working in Hong Kong only. Expatriates, part-time and temporary employees are excluded

Employee level: employees are grouped into four categories based on their field’s experience:
1. Top / senior management
2. Middle management / non-managerial professionals
3. Supervisory / officers
4. Clerical / frontline

Average: a mathematical average of a set of data values (basic monthly salaries, percentage adjustments, number of annual leave, and performance bonus or year-end bonus). Arithmetic average will not be provided when number of the data values used in calculation is 5 or less.

Median: a middle number of a set of data values (basic monthly salaries, percentage adjustments, number of annual leave and performance bonus or year-end bonus) which divides the whole set into halves. Median will not be provided when number of the data values used in calculation is 5 or less.

25th percentile (1st quartile): it is the number of a set data values (basic monthly salaries, percentage adjustments, number of annual leave and performance bonus or year-end bonus) which cuts off the lowest 25% of data.

75th percentile (3rd quartile): it is the number of a set data values (basic monthly salaries, percentage adjustments, number of annual leave and performance bonus or year-end bonus) which cuts off the highest 25% of data.

Inter-quartile Range (Q-range): the difference between the data values at the 25th and 75th percentiles and is a measure of statistical dispersion