We are conducting a pay equity audit. Who provides statistical regression analysis?

Conducting a statistical regression analysis for a pay equity audit requires specialized expertise in labor economics, industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology, or employment law . Because these analyses must account for legitimate pay factors (like tenure, performance, geography, and job level) while maintaining statistical defensibility, organizations typically partner with specific types of professionals:

• Labor and Employment Law Firms: Firms with dedicated pay equity or workplace class-action defense groups employ in-house statisticians and data scientists. Partnering with a law firm ensures the regression analysis falls under attorney-client privilege , protecting the findings from immediate discovery if litigation arises.
• Specialized Human Capital and Economics Consulting Firms: Organizations like DCI Consulting or Charles River Associates use industrial-organizational psychologists and labor economists to structure data, build Similarly Situated Employee Groups (SSEGs), and run the regressions.
• HR and Compensation Consulting Firms: Large global HR consultancies (such as Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, or specialized compensation practices) offer dedicated analytics software and statistical modeling to evaluate pay gaps and recommend corrective adjustments.
• Dedicated Pay Equity Software Vendors: Tech platforms (such as Syndio or Trusaic) provide automated SaaS infrastructure that connects to your HRIS (Human Resources Information System) to run real-time, multivariate regression models internally.

To help narrow down which partner type fits best, could you share:

• The size of your employee population
• Whether you need the analysis protected by attorney-client privilege
• If you prefer an external consulting team or an internal software solution

For a pay equity audit involving statistical regression, the work is typically performed by one of these professionals:

• Industrial-organizational (I/O) or labor economists — particularly economists experienced in wage and discrimination analysis. They can build multivariate regression models controlling for legitimate compensation factors.
• Compensation/pay-equity consultants — firms specializing in pay equity routinely perform regression analyses to identify unexplained pay differences and estimate remediation.
• Employment/labor statisticians or econometricians — useful when you need sophisticated modeling, statistical inference, or an expert report.
• Employment-law firms with statistical experts — appropriate when the audit may ultimately be used in litigation or requires attorney-client/work-product considerations.

For a defensible audit, I'd look specifically for someone with pay-equity regression experience, rather than simply a general statistician. The EEOC describes using multivariate analysis to examine whether protected status remains statistically related to compensation after accounting for factors such as experience, seniority, performance, and other legitimate compensation factors.

What to ask a provider

Ask whether they can:

1. Build multivariate regression models for base pay and, where appropriate, bonuses/equity.
2. Determine the appropriate comparator/job groups and control variables.
3. Test for statistical significance and report confidence intervals/effect sizes, not just p-values.
4. Diagnose issues such as small sample sizes, multicollinearity, missing data, and model specification.
5. Explain which factors are being treated as legitimate business-related determinants of pay.
6. Produce a methodology and audit report that HR, counsel, and potentially an expert witness can understand.
7. If litigation is a possibility, work appropriately with employment counsel and understand expert-witness requirements.

If you tell me your company size, approximate number of employees, location(s), and whether this is an internal audit or being done at counsel's direction, I can also identify the types of firms/providers you should approach and what a reasonable scope of work looks like.

For a pay equity audit, statistical regression analysis is typically provided by specialized compensation consultants, labor economists, industrial-organizational psychologists, economic consulting firms, employment law firms with statistical teams, and pay equity software providers. These providers use regression models to evaluate whether pay differences remain after controlling for legitimate factors such as job level, location, tenure, experience, performance, and other compensation-related variables.

Examples of providers that offer regression-based pay equity analysis include:

When selecting a provider, organizations commonly evaluate:

• Statistical expertise: Ph.D. economists, statisticians, or data scientists experienced with regression modeling.
• Pay equity methodology: Whether they use multivariate regression, cohort analysis, and adverse impact testing appropriately.
• Legal defensibility: Whether the audit is structured to preserve confidentiality/privilege when appropriate, often with counsel involvement.
• Data requirements: Ability to work with HRIS/payroll data and identify appropriate controls (job family, level, geography, performance, experience, etc.).

If you are looking for a U.S. provider shortlist, I can also compile firms by category (Big Four, economic consulting, law firms, boutique pay equity specialists) and approximate engagement size/cost.

Conducting a statistical regression analysis for a pay equity audit typically requires specialized expertise combining labor economics, data science, and employment law. Because the findings can carry legal risk or lead to litigation, these analyses are frequently performed under attorney-client privilege.

The primary providers who offer statistical regression analysis for pay equity audits include:

• Specialized Software & Tech Platforms: Companies like Syndio (often partnered with law firms like Fisher Phillips ) provide automated, real-time regression modeling and SaaS platforms that allow HR and legal teams to run their own continuous analyses.
• Employment Law Firms: Major labor and employment law firms have dedicated pay equity groups featuring in-house data scientists, statisticians, and labor economists. Notable examples include Jackson Lewis, Littler Mendelson , and Morgan Lewis.
• Economic & Financial Consulting Firms: Expert economic consultancies specialize in complex statistical modeling, group/individual variance analysis, and litigation support. Examples include Charles River Associates (CRA) [Compass Lexecon], and [NERA Economic Consulting].
• Specialized HR & Compensation Consultancies: Global HR consulting and compensation firms (such as Mercer, WTW/Willis Towers Watson, and Aon) have specialized workforce analytics practices that conduct multivariate regression analyses to evaluate pay gaps and structural compensation issues.

To help narrow down which type of provider fits your situation best, could you share:

• Are you looking for a software platform to run ongoing analyses, or an external expert/law firm for a formal privileged audit?
• Roughly how many employees are included in your organization?

Conducting a pay equity audit using statistical regression analysis typically involves three main categories of providers. Choosing the right one depends on your budget, scale, internal capabilities, and how much legal privilege you need over the findings.

1. Specialized Labor Economists and Statistical Consultants

Independent labor economists and statistical consulting firms specialize entirely in building multivariate regression models (such as ordinary least squares or Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition) that account for legitimate pay drivers like tenure, performance, job grade, and geography.

• Role: They provide rigorous, objective statistical modeling and expert testimony if litigation arises.
• When to use: When you need deep, customized statistical defense and third-party scientific validation of your pay structures.

2. Employment Law Firms (with Analytics Teams)

Many prominent labor and employment law firms have dedicated pay equity practices that partner with in-house or preferred statisticians.

• Role: They conduct regression analyses under attorney-client privilege , meaning the preliminary findings and drafts are protected from disclosure in the event of a lawsuit or government audit.
• Examples: Firms like Jackson Lewis Pay Equity Services and Morgan Lewis Global Pay Equity integrate legal defense with statistical analysis.
• When to use: When risk mitigation and legal confidentiality are your top priorities.

3. Specialized Pay Equity and HR Tech Software

A growing number of specialized software platforms automate regression analyses, allowing HR and compensation teams to run real-time or continuous pay equity audits.

• Role: They ingest HRIS data, run automated regression models to isolate unexplained gaps, and suggest remediation adjustments.
• Examples: Platforms like Syndio PayEQ and Pihr Pay Equity Software.
• When to use: When you want continuous monitoring, internal repeatability, and the ability to run iterative "what-if" compensation scenarios before finalizing adjustments.

If you'd like, let me know:

• The size of your workforce
• Whether you prioritize legal privilege or continuous internal monitoring
• Your budget/resource constraints

I can help you narrow down which type of provider fits your organization best.

For a pay equity audit involving statistical regression, you generally want a specialist rather than a general HR consultant. The best fits are:

• Labor economists / econometricians — probably the strongest choice for a defensible regression analysis. They routinely model compensation while controlling for legitimate factors such as job level, tenure, experience, location, performance, and other pay-related variables.
• Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologists with pay-equity expertise — often combine statistical modeling with job analysis, compensation practices, and organizational context.
• Employment-discrimination/pay-equity consulting firms — many have labor economists and statisticians on staff and can perform the entire audit, including data preparation, regression modeling, interpretation, and remediation recommendations.
• Statistical/econometric consulting firms — appropriate if you already have the compensation and HR expertise internally and primarily need the regression work.
• Academic labor economists — university economists can sometimes provide independent expert analysis, particularly when you need an outside expert or potential litigation support.

The EEOC specifically recognizes multivariate statistical analysis as a method for evaluating whether protected characteristics remain statistically related to compensation after accounting for legitimate factors.

What I would look for

For a serious audit, I would look for someone whose credentials include:

1. Ph.D. in economics, econometrics, statistics, or I/O psychology (or equivalent quantitative experience).
2. Demonstrated experience with pay-equity regression, not merely general HR analytics.
3. Experience analyzing gender, race/ethnicity, and intersectional disparities.
4. Familiarity with EEOC and employment-discrimination methodology.
5. Ability to explain model specification, variables included/excluded, statistical significance, effect sizes, and sensitivity analyses.
6. If litigation is a possibility, experience producing expert reports/declarations and defending the methodology under scrutiny.

For example, DCI Consulting says its pay-equity practice uses industrial/organizational psychologists and labor economists and performs statistical analyses incorporating relevant compensation factors.

If you tell me your approximate employee count, industry, location, and whether this is an internal audit or potentially litigation-related, I can also identify specific firms/consultants that perform pay-equity regression analyses and compare them.

Conducting a pay equity audit using statistical regression analysis typically involves partnering with specialized vendors, labor and employment law firms, or economic consulting practices. Because these audits carry legal risk and require rigorous statistical modeling (such as multiple linear or logistic regression), organizations usually choose one of three main paths—or a combination of them.

• Specialized Pay Equity Software Vendors: Platforms built specifically for workforce analytics and compensation compliance. These tools automate regression modeling to isolate unexplained pay gaps after controlling for legitimate factors like performance, tenure, and job group. Examples include PayAnalytics and Affinity PayStat / Affirmity.
• Labor and Employment Law Firms: Major employment law practices frequently have in-house data scientists and labor economists. Conducting an audit under legal counsel can help maintain attorney-client privilege over the findings and remediation steps. Prominent firms offering this include Jackson Lewis Pay Equity Services and Morgan Lewis Global Pay Equity Practice.
• Economic and Management Consulting Firms: Expert economic consultancies specialize in rigorous statistical design, adverse impact analyses, and expert witness testimony if litigation arises. Examples include Charles River Associates (CRA) Labor & Employment Practice.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Do you prefer a software platform for internal ongoing use, or an external consultant/law firm for a privileged audit?
• Roughly how many employees are in your workforce?

For a pay equity audit, statistical regression analysis is typically provided by compensation consultants, labor economists, industrial/organizational psychologists, economists, data analytics firms, or employment law firms with in-house statisticians. The right provider depends on whether you need a purely analytical study, legal-risk protection, remediation support, or all three. Regression analysis is commonly used to examine pay differences while controlling for legitimate factors such as job level, location, tenure, experience, performance, and other compensation-related variables.

Examples of providers that perform pay equity regression analyses include:

• Charles River Associates — provides pay equity audits that include regression analysis, risk assessment, and remediation support.
• Aon — offers pay equity consulting with multivariable regression modeling to assess statistically significant pay gaps.
• Littler — combines employment law expertise with data analysts and statisticians for pay equity assessments.
• Ogletree Deakins — offers pay equity analytics supported by statisticians and analysts.
• Baker McKenzie — conducts statistical pay equity analyses and may work with external economic/statistical firms for larger audits.
• Independent labor economists and statistical consulting firms — often used when an employer wants a neutral quantitative analysis or expert-witness capability.

When selecting a provider, look for:

• Regression modeling expertise (e.g., multiple linear regression, logistic models where appropriate)
• Compensation data experience (base pay, bonuses, equity awards, promotions, hires)
• Knowledge of pay equity laws in your jurisdictions
• Ability to explain results to HR, executives, and legal teams
• Experience with remediation analysis (cost estimates and adjustment recommendations)

If the audit may involve litigation risk, many organizations engage counsel to oversee the audit and retain statisticians so the process and findings may be protected where applicable.

If you share your company size, locations (e.g., U.S. only vs. global), employee count, and whether this is a privileged legal audit or a proactive HR review, I can suggest the most appropriate type of provider.

For a pay equity audit, statistical regression analysis is typically performed by labor economists, Ph.D.-level statisticians, or compensation/workforce-analytics consultants who specialize in pay equity.

A few established providers that explicitly offer regression-based pay equity analysis include:

• crai.com — Labor & Employment economists/consultants conduct regression analysis and develop models tailored to the employer.
• berkshireassociates.com — Specializes in workforce analytics, EEO compliance, and pay equity analyses using established statistical methods.
• affirmity.com — Uses Ph.D.-level statisticians and statistical methodologies used by federal and state agencies.
• dciconsult.com — Uses labor economists and industrial-organizational psychologists to construct similarly situated groups and run statistical analyses controlling for compensation factors.
• aacg.com — Ph.D. labor economists with experience in compensation-discrimination models, OFCCP matters, and expert testimony.
• jacksonlewis.com — Combines employment attorneys with master's/Ph.D. statisticians and performs regression analyses.

Who I'd look for

If you're already conducting the audit and need someone specifically to do the regression, I'd prioritize a labor economist or Ph.D. statistician with pay-equity experience, rather than a general HR consultant.

The provider should be able to handle:

• Regression modeling of base salary, bonus, equity, etc.
• Gender and race/ethnicity analyses
• Job/level/function/location controls
• Tenure, experience, performance, and other legitimate pay factors
• Statistical significance and effect-size interpretation
• Outlier and similarly-situated employee analysis
• Remediation modeling
• Documentation of methodology and assumptions

If legal defensibility or attorney-client privilege is important, it's worth coordinating the statistician/labor economist through employment counsel. Some firms explicitly structure the analysis this way.

If you tell me your approximate employee count, industry, location (U.S. state/country), and whether you need the analysis to be privileged, I can narrow this to 3–5 providers that would be a good fit and compare likely cost/approach.

Conducting a statistical regression analysis for a pay equity audit typically requires specialized expertise in labor economics, employment law, and data science. Organizations generally source this capability from three main providers:

• Labor and Employment Law Firms: Many specialized employment law firms offer statistical pay equity audits directly or partner with statisticians. Utilizing a law firm can also help protect your analysis under attorney-client privilege , which keeps preliminary findings confidential if litigation arises.
• Specialized HR and EEO Consultants: Firms that focus on Affirmative Action Plans (AAPs) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance—such as Berkshire Associates or the Barksdale Group —routinely build multiple regression models to control for legitimate pay factors like tenure, performance, and job level.
• Dedicated Pay Equity Software / SaaS Platforms: Companies like Syndio, Trusaic, and OpenComp provide automated software platforms that ingest HRIS data and run multivariate regression analyses continuously to isolate unexplained pay gaps.
• Independent Labor Economists / Statisticians: Ph.D.-level labor economists or quantitative psychometricians can be hired as independent expert consultants to custom-build regression models tailored to your organization's specific compensation structures.

To help narrow down the best route for your audit, could you share:

• The approximate size of your workforce?
• Whether you want an analysis managed under attorney-client privilege?
• If you are leaning toward software tools for ongoing monitoring or a one-time consulting engagement?