Broken down by position, executives saw an average 4.4 percent raise, up from 2.7 the year before; management-tier professionals saw a higher increase as well, going from 4 percent to 4.4 percent; finally, staff saw a pay increase of 3.5 percent versus the 3.4 percent average they saw the year before. Why did they get raises? Sixty-nine percent of respondents said it was because they contributed to the company's profitability, 85 percent said it was because of increased job responsibilities, and 37 percent said it was because they got an MBA.