Employee compensation

Staff market-based compensation

Staff salaries at University of Idaho are based primarily on the market rate, or the average salary paid for a particular job. Each benefits-eligible staff position has an assigned market rate, determined by the job’s duties and responsibilities.

Market rates are based on salary data from:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): We use BLS salary data from an eight-state region — Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
• The College and University Professional Association (CUPA): CUPA provides salary data from universities across the country that share U of I’s Carnegie research designation.

Staff target salaries

We use more than just the market rate to calculate each staff member’s target salary. Other factors include:

• Education: Whether the employee’s level of education exceeds the minimum required for their position.
• Prior experience: Whether the employee has done the same job before, either at U of I or elsewhere.
• Time at U of I: How long the employee has worked in any benefits-eligible position at U of I.  
• Time in current role: How long the employee has held their current position at U of I.

Staff salary decisions

Human Resources establishes market rates and calculates target salaries for staff positions. This information is shared with supervisors, who make final salary decisions.

Faculty and postdoctoral salaries

Salaries for faculty members and post-doctoral fellows are managed by Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. Refer to the Provost/EVP office for information related to faculty and post-doctoral compensation.

Temporary and student employee compensation

Pay for temporary and student positions is set by each department, based on the experience needed for the job, department needs and available funding.