Top Senate Democrats released updated compensation structures and job classifications for staff members, arguing the new system makes legislative jobs more attractive by putting wages and responsibilities in line with other employers.

Sen. Brendan Crighton, a Lynn Democrat who helped craft the changes, said the plan to rework wages and job classifications is based on a “market study and survey,” which found a number of positions were not being paid at the same levels as other public and private companies.

“This seeks to adjust how the group structure works, as well as the salary range structure works, to make sure that we are paying folks at a fair level worthy of the work that they put into this,” Crighton told reporters outside the Senate Chamber.

Exact details about the changes were not immediately available. Senators divulged the updates only after reporters questioned them as they walked out of a private meeting in Spilka’s office, which all 40 members were invited to attend.

The plan comes after the Senate introduced a 10% pay raise for all Senate staffers, reworked some job classifications, and bumped the pay floor to $50,000 in June 2022.

Both the June 2022 and Wednesday’s wage and job classification revisions were born out of a review by the National Conference of State Legislatures of the Senate’s pay and job practices. It came as some staff members were attempting to form a legislative staff member union.

Sen. William Brownsberger, who serves in Senate leadership, said this year’s pay and job classification adjustments were designed to “reflect the market and equity concerns.” The Belmont Democrat said the process to update pay and position classifications has been in the works for years and the rollout would take several months.

The wage floor of $50,000 will not be raised under the changes released, he said.

“This step today is the completion of the market compensation comparisons and so a set of adjustments to compensation and a set of new position definitions to reflect the market and equity concerns,” he told reporters at the State House.

Sarah Blodgett, a spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka, said the plan also includes additional stipends for non-English speakers “if those languages are a priority for the Senate office” for which they work; reimbursements for some licensing fees, social work, and the Bar.

“If someone’s been working in the Senate for a while, they get a master’s while they are doing their work here, they can then go back to HR and ask for their salary to be reconsidered with the new qualifications that they have,” Blodgett said.

Senate budget writer Michael Rodrigues said the cost of the changes are covered in a line item for Senate operations in the fiscal year 2024 budget. The changes could increase costs in future years but the Senate does not plan to ask for more money in fiscal year 2025, he said.

“We have adequate resources. It’s not going to change anything,” he said of fiscal year 2024.

The most notable salary adjustment will come for staff members who serve in communications roles, positions that were not paid at similar rates as other private or public sector employers, Crighton said.

Crighton said communications directors “really wasn’t something that existed unless you were a much higher level office.” But now, as offices have started to focus on reaching out directly to constituents through many different mediums, the positions have become more crucial, he said.

“We’re having a hard time attracting those folks to get into public service. We think that this will remedy that and make it a much better fit for them,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, said he is “looking at” the plan and “giving it due consideration.”

Sen. Julian Cyr, a Truro Democrat, said he has often had conversations with staff members about “how hard it is to make it and make a life” in Eastern Massachusetts given the high cost of living and exorbitant housing prices in Greater Boston.

He said senators “are really happy” about the updates.

“This is something we’ve all really wanted. You’re only as good as your staff in this business,” he said.