This is going to vary a lot from one area to another, so I'll answer kind of generally what we have done.
Our problem with checking with the hospital is that they pay way more than the going rate offered by office practices. One possible source is to scope the want ads, see if you can get any ranges from them. We also used subtrefuge, and got a friend to call and ask about pay offered from an ad.
There was a lot of variability in this area. Some practices paid a high rate but did not offer any benefits or insurance. Some (like us) paid lower, but included health insurance and a well funded 401-K. Part of that is that my partner and I are a professional corporation, so we treat ourselves as employees, and that means that since we want the goodies, others also get them. Yes, some animals are more equal that others, but there is still some degree of equality. However, not all employees are mature enough to realize that the insurance and 401-K may be worth 20% extra to them, and would rather have the upfront money to spend. So, whether you are incorporated or not may matter.
We pay monthly to reduce accounting costs. A couple of prospective employees backed away from us at that, but I'm not sure I really want an employee who can't budget for a month at a time.
We do periodic pay reviews, but not on any set schedule. We like the idea of bonusing better than raises as it does not tie us to continuing forever.
Holiday bonuses: We sort of look back and see what we did last year, which we copied initially from what our former employers did. Not very helpful to you, I'm afraid, since you want the starting point.
There are also people in the community whom we trust. We asked our accountant, a couple of physician buddies, and a couple of friends who had worked for other practices.
