What role do benefits play in hiring and employee retention?

Salary gets the spotlight, but benefits play a huge role in how packaging engineers evaluate job offers, and how far their paycheck actually goes. In our 2025 Packaging Engineer Survey, we asked respondents to tell us which benefits they receive and how they feel those benefits impact their compensation and job satisfaction.

What we learned is that not all benefits are created equal, and some are more widespread than others.

Who’s Getting What?

Here are the most commonly reported benefits among respondents:

• Medical Insurance – Nearly universal among full-time employees, though coverage quality varies.

• 401(k) – Some companies make an automatic contribution, some do not. Match percentages vary.

• Paid Time Off (PTO) – Standard, though the number of days ranged widely. Some companies don't even track it!

• Remote Work Flexibility – This is highly valued but rarely offered. If you need regular access to the lab or the plant, this is very hard to find.

• Hybrid Schedule - Some remote flexibility with local access to the office and the lab. In-office requirements vary. This setup is becoming more and more common.

• Tuition Reimbursement / Professional Development – Often available, but comes with strings attached. Read the fine print!

• Annual Cash Bonus - widely available, though not always at the Associate level. Targets are almost always tied to a combination of personal and company performance, and increase with promotions.

• Profit Sharing – this could include stock options (public companies), cash (private companies) or additional retirement funding (either category). Usually reserved for management.

• Pension - There aren't a lot of these out there, but they still exist.

  
  

Interestingly, some respondents reported no benefits at all, usually contractors, temps, or employees at very small companies.

Company Size and Industry Matter

We also found that benefit offerings often correlated with company type and industry:

• Larger companies typically offer robust benefits but lack flexibility to negotiate things like vacation time.

• Smaller or private companies often have the ability to negotiate vacation time, or even in-office requirements.

• Startups and smaller brands often used profit-sharing or performance-based bonuses to compete with companies that offered higher base pay.

• Stock options appear most common in the pharmaceutical industry. We'll see if the numbers match next year.

  
  

This is a good reminder that when evaluating offers, engineers should consider not just what is offered, but why. Benefits tell you a lot about a company’s structure, values, and approach to long-term support.

Do Benefits Affect Salary?

While we didn’t ask respondents to quantify how benefits impacted salary, we noticed a pattern: engineers with more comprehensive benefit packages sometimes reported slightly lower base salaries, but were less likely to be seeking new roles.

In other words, benefits may be acting as a retention strategy; especially when they address lifestyle, security, and professional growth.

What Engineers Really Want

In the open comments, engineers called out:

• More PTO

• Flexible schedules

• Clarity around bonuses and salary transparency

• Support for continuing education and certifications

  
  

It’s clear that benefits are about more than perks, they’re a signal of how much a company invests in its people.

What This Means for You

If you're an engineer, don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions about benefits when evaluating offers. Total compensation is about more than just salary.

If you're a hiring manager, remember that benefits tell a story. They can tip the scales when salary negotiations stall, and they often say more about your company culture than a job description ever could.

— The PackStaff Team