Pay Administration Guidelines

Pay grades reflect both the role of the job within the university, and external market practices.

The university is a complex organization with a wide variety of jobs, and competes in a wide variety of markets, depending upon the job.  University Human Resources (UHR)/Compensation collects and analyzes market data from multiple markets including other public higher education institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and local employers. Compensation uses carefully selected published salary surveys to ensure that the University has access to current and quality data. These surveys are conducted on a regular basis by reputable survey firms.

The university will continue to monitor the market and will recommend adjustments to the pay structure, as appropriate, to ensure that it continues to reflect competitive pay. 

The pay ranges associated with the grades are wide enough to accommodate a variety of experience and performance levels, from novice to expert, as well as market shifts in any given year. All employees can expect to be paid within the range. No one will be paid below the minimum of the established pay grade.  Employees who have a base salary above the pay grade maximum will be red-circled. For additional information regarding red circling, refer to the Annual Increase section.

An important principle of the program is “managing pay within the grade”.  Pay should be positioned in the range based on several factors, including skills, competency, job knowledge, experience, performance, and available budget. 

AFSCME 3200, AFSCME 1699, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Police Officers, & FOP Police Lieutenants should refer to the language within their respective collective bargaining agreements related to bonuses and wages.