Comparison guide
Live local pay data, without the annual global survey.
By Team LiveRem Published Facts checked 7 min read
| At a glance |  | Mercer |
|---|---|---|
| Data refresh | Every 24 hours | Annual |
| Data source | Payroll and HR systems by direct API | Participant-submitted survey data |
| Pricing | NZD 4,000 a year ex GST for a 101-250 person company, tiered by headcount | Not published for Australia and New Zealand |
| Role matching | AI job description mapping with a confidence score | Points-based, Mercer International Position Evaluation |
| Countries | New Zealand and Australia | 140+ countries |
| Pay elements | Actual pay, including base salary, total cash, incentives and benefits | Base pay, incentives, long-term incentives and benefits |
Short answer
LiveRem benchmarks New Zealand and Australian pay from connected payroll data refreshed every 24 hours, with published pricing. The Mercer Total Remuneration Survey (TRS) is an annual global survey covering base pay through to benefits in 140+ countries, with New Zealand and Australian pricing on request. Choose LiveRem for current local pay. Choose Mercer for multi-country total remuneration.
Freshness LiveRem updates daily. Mercer collects on a yearly cycle, so it fits annual salary reviews better than live decisions.
Scale Mercer cites 50,000 participating organisations, 25 million incumbents and 400,000 jobs worldwide. LiveRem draws on hundreds of Australian and New Zealand organisations and hundreds of thousands of data points.
Local transparency Mercer reports 1,300+ organisations in the 2025 Australian TRS and publishes no New Zealand participation count.
Role matching LiveRem suggests a match from the job description, and you review it. Mercer uses a points-based evaluation method applied worldwide.
Price LiveRem publishes pricing tiered by headcount. Mercer's Australian and New Zealand prices are not published.
Scope Both cover total remuneration, including incentives and benefits. Mercer does so in 140+ countries. LiveRem does so in two.
Both serve New Zealand and Australian employers, both give you an online tool, and both stand behind a stated method for matching roles. The differences are in freshness, local depth, scope and price.
| Compared on | | Mercer |
|---|---|---|
| Covers New Zealand | Yes | Yes, on its coverage map |
| Covers Australia | Yes | Yes, with an Australian TRS |
| Online querying tool | Yes | Yes, MarketPricer |
| Role matching | AI job description mapping | Mercer job library with International Position Evaluation |
| Stated method | Minimum data threshold, anonymised and aggregated data | One methodology applied worldwide |
| Sector cuts | Industries including tech, marketing, finance, professional services, manufacturing, transport and logistics, FMCG and hospitality | Sector reviews such as accounting and advisory firms, data analytics and actuarial roles |
| Live data | Yes, every 24 hours | No, annual |
| Setup time | Around an hour | Not stated on the pages reviewed |
| Additional features | Turnover benchmarking, gender pay gap benchmarking, budget planning using market data, WGEA reporting | MarketPricer online tool and sector reviews |
Mercer describes its Total Remuneration Survey as annual. Collection follows a yearly cycle, so it suits annual salary reviews better than live decisions. LiveRem refreshes from connected payroll data every 24 hours.
Mercer's global figures are large: 50,000 participating organisations and 400,000 jobs. For Australia, more than 1,300 organisations took part in the 2025 TRS. For New Zealand, the pages reviewed give no participation count. LiveRem is built for New Zealand and Australia, and draws on hundreds of Australian and New Zealand organisations and hundreds of thousands of data points.
Mercer maps participant data to its job library using International Position Evaluation, a points-based method. It is thorough, but it takes training and time, and a points score can be hard to explain to an employee. LiveRem's AI suggests a match from the job description with a confidence percentage, and you review it before accepting. LiveRem does not size jobs.
Mercer sells its 15 most popular global surveys online. Other markets, including Australia and New Zealand, go through Mercer's team, and prices are not published. LiveRem is a flat annual subscription priced by headcount, with unlimited users and searches.
Both cover total remuneration, including incentives and benefits. TRS does it in 140+ countries, with long-term incentives. LiveRem does it for New Zealand and Australia, from actual pay in connected payroll data. It does not benchmark on-target earnings or equity.
| Pricing | | Mercer |
|---|---|---|
| Price band | Low | High |
| Model | Published | On request |
| Paid | NZD 4,000 a year ex GST for a 101-250 person company, tiered by headcount, with unlimited users and searches | Contact Mercer for New Zealand and Australian survey pricing |
| Contract | 12 months, 30 days' notice, no lock-in | Not stated |
Questions buyers ask when comparing LiveRem and Mercer.
LiveRem benchmarks New Zealand and Australian pay from connected payroll data and refreshes every 24 hours. The Mercer TRS is an annual global survey of participant-submitted data covering base pay through to benefits. LiveRem is local and live. Mercer is global and annual.
Mercer's TRS coverage map includes New Zealand and it publishes an Australian TRS. The pages reviewed give no New Zealand participation count, against 1,300+ organisations in the 2025 Australian survey.
Mercer cites 50,000 participating organisations worldwide, 25 million incumbents and 400,000 jobs. More than 1,300 organisations took part in the 2025 Australian TRS. LiveRem draws on hundreds of Australian and New Zealand organisations and hundreds of thousands of data points.
Mercer describes the Total Remuneration Survey as annual. LiveRem refreshes every 24 hours.
Mercer does not publish prices for Australia and New Zealand. Contact Mercer for pricing. LiveRem is NZD 4,000 a year ex GST for a 101-250 person company, tiered by headcount.
Yes, for New Zealand and Australia. LiveRem benchmarks total remuneration, including incentives and benefits, from actual pay data. It does not cover on-target earnings or equity. Mercer's TRS covers base pay, incentives, long-term incentives and benefits in 140+ countries.
Yes. You can use a global survey for total remuneration and LiveRem for current local base salary and total cash. LiveRem does not import Mercer job sizings, so roles are matched separately by the AI job mapper.
LiveRem states it is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified and audited by Intercert. Data arrives mainly through direct payroll and HR API connections and is anonymised and aggregated. File upload is also available, but total cash benchmarking is not available on file upload. Mercer describes one methodology applied worldwide and job evaluation by its International Position Evaluation.
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