Annual Compensation Review
What you need to know
Sandia’s annual compensation review for non-represented employees takes place after year-end performance management reviews.
Managers review incentive compensation recommendations and may modify as needed.
Recommendations and final increases and awards must fit within the annual salary budget guidelines from the Department of Energy (DOE).
About the Annual Compensation Review Cycle
Each year, Sandia’s Compensation team analyzes external market data and internal employee pay across jobs to develop the annual Compensation Increase Plan (CIP) proposal, which is submitted to National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for approval. The CIP establishes the budget available for annual base salary increases and incentive compensation – delivered through the Sandia Performance Incentive Plan (SPIP) and Management Incentive Plan (MIP).
Key Dates and Required Actions
These dates are subject to change; return to this page to stay informed about what’s happening and when. The timeline below reflects information for regular, non-represented employees.
| Date | What’s Happening | Required Action |
| Sept. 30, 2026 | Compensation freeze file | Active employees in regular, non-represented jobs on this date will be included in the review. Base increases and incentive compensation awards will be based on the job title and salary as of this date. |
| Dec. 2, 2026, through 12 p.m. MST/11 a.m. PST Dec. 11, 2026 | Comp Tool Opens | Compensation review meetings occur. Managers make final compensation decisions for incentive compensation in the Comp Tool. DATE RANGE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE |
| Dec. 26, 2026 | Annual base increases are effective at the start of the pay period. | |
| Jan. 4, 2027 | Employee compensation notices for annual base increases available for review and release by managers. | Managers should discuss base increase compensation results with eligible employees by EOD Jan. 13. Please be advised, employees may see their increases on paystubs as early as Jan.11. |
| Jan. 11, 2027 | Employee compensation notices for incentive compensation awards, Sandia Performance Incentive Plan (SPIP) and Management Incentive Plan (MIP), available for review and release by managers. | Managers should discuss incentive compensation results with applicable employees by EOD Jan. 25. |
| Jan. 13, 2027 | Compensation notices for annual base increases are automatically released by the system to all eligible employees. | |
| Jan. 15, 2027 | Annual base increases reflected in paycheck. Employees must remain active, on-roll and in an eligible, non-represented position on Jan. 8. | |
| Jan. 26, 2027 | Compensation notices for incentive compensation awards are automatically released by the system to all applicable employees. | |
| Jan. 29, 2027 | Incentive Compensation awards (SPIP and MIP) paid. Employees must remain active, on-roll and in an eligible, non-represented position on Jan. 22. |
Resources
There are no resources at this time. Continue to check this page for updates.
Manager Resources
- Manager resources will be provided during Annual Compensation Review.
All Employee Resources
- Employee resources will be provided during Annual Compensation Review.
Questions? Send questions to HR Solutions. Request a chat or call 505-284-4700.
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Quick Tip
Managers take note!
Go to manager resources for the tools you need to make your annual compensation recommendations, and complete the process through Sandia’s Comp Tool.