IRON MOUNTAIN — Five courthouse positions in Dickinson County have been approved for pay increases after an independent compensation review by MGT Consulting Group of Bay City.

MGT first contracted with the county for pay studies two years ago and has now reviewed nearly all county positions.

The newest starting pay grades, as approved by the county board Monday, are:

— District court probation officer, $46,256.

— District court reporter, $42,762.

— Juvenile service officer, $46,256.

— Custodian II, $37,820.

— Equalization department assistant, $33,121.

In its study, MGT noted that Dickinson County’s percentage of benefits to total compensation is 2.9% above the market average at 37.8%. To reflect this difference in the market data, the selected benchmark salaries were reduced by 2.9%.

Under a policy approved by the county board in June 2020, reclassification requests must be filed by the department head, approved by the county board, and then submitted to a third party such as MGT to recommend a new job description and pay classification.

As a result of MGT’s wage studies, many of the county’s 72 unionized employees have seen an increase in pay scale. Apart from the studies, the four bargaining units representing county workers at the end of 2021 agreed to contracts through Dec. 31, 2025, that provide 2% wage increases each year.