UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — To maintain Penn State’s ability to attract and retain staff, the University increased the salary ranges for staff positions by 6%, effective July 1. This shift is the result of the ongoing commitment to reevaluate staff pay grades every three to five years to preserve Penn State’s competitiveness in the job market, and will allow current staff the opportunity to earn more within their salary grade.
“Penn State’s ability to recruit and retain top staff is a critical part of how the University carries out its core missions of teaching, research and outreach. Updating our salary structure will help Penn State continue to compete for the best and brightest,” said Jennifer Wilkes, vice president for Human Resources and chief human resources officer.
The new salary grades for each job profile are reflected in the full-time staff job catalog.
As a result of this salary shift, a small number of staff members have received pay adjustments to align with the new salary grades. Those staff members will be notified via Workday with instructions on how to view their new compensation. Staff who receive pay adjustments from the salary structure shift will also remain eligible for the 2026 annual salary increase (ASI) process.
Staff with a primary appointment with the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) and those covered by a bargaining agreement are not included in this salary shift.