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Pay Increase for classified staff, bump to campus minimum wage, effective July 1

The latest in a series of actions taken by CU Boulder to improve staff and faculty compensation took effect July 1 and was reflected on employees’ end-of-month paychecks.

Included were a 5% across-the-board pay increase for classified staff in line with the state of Colorado and the classified staff employee partnership agreement with COWINS, as well as increases in the CU Boulder minimum wage to $18 per hour for staff and $16 per hour for hourly student assistants.

These increases precede a 4% across-the-board increase for eligible university staff and a 4% merit pool for faculty and research faculty that will take effect Jan. 1 and that were approved by the CU Board of Regents in June. Coming this fall will be a 4% across-the-board increase to the standard campus rate for graduate student assistantships.

“As a university, we continue to make strides to address compensation among our faculty and staff. The FY23-24 pay increases are the largest we’ve seen in over a decade,” Chief People Officer Robyn Fergus said. “This initiative is paramount, as we strive to retain our talented employees and provide validation for their work and affinity for CU Boulder.” 

CU Boulder leadership is currently working on a long-term compensation plan for the campus which includes consistent and transparent pay setting practices.

“These moves allow the campus, at a critical time of economic recovery and expansion of the job market, to make a vital investment in the stability of our workforce - stability that results in a more enriched and impactful student experience to solidify CU Boulder as a more competitive employer,” Fergus said.

For more information regarding these increases, please reference the employee compensation FAQs on the Human Resources website

Past and upcoming actions to address compensation among faculty and staff include:

2024

  • January: 4% merit compensation pool increases for faculty including research faculty
  • January: 4% across-the-board increases for university staff meeting or exceeding performance expectations and for temporary contract by course faculty compensation

2023

  • Fall: 4% across-the-board increase to the standard campus rate for graduate student assistantships
  • July: 5% across-the-board increases for classified staff
  • July: Minimum wage increases to $18 an hour for staff
  • July: Minimum wage increases to $16 an hour for hourly student assistants
  • Spring: 3% across-the-board increases to the standard campus rate for graduate student assistantships and temporary faculty contract by course compensation
  • Spring: Pay increases for some staff to address pay range and job family compression issues
  • January: 3% pool for merit-based increases for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff 
  • January: Tenured faculty promotion and tenure compression adjustments 

2022

  • January: 3% across-the-board increases for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff
  • January: 1% one-time payment for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff
  • January: Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act pay adjustments
  • Spring: 3% across-the-board increases to the standard campus rate for graduate student assistantships and temporary faculty contract by course compensation
  • May: Second round of one-time retention payments for critical frontline staff
  • July: 3% across-the-board increases for classified staff
  • July: increased raise amounts for promotion to tenured associate and tenured full professor go into effect
  • October: $1,300 one-time payment (prorated for part-time appointments) for regular faculty, research faculty, university staff, and classified staff 

2021

  • July: Campus minimum wage increases to $15 per hour, including related compression adjustments
  • July: 3% across-the-board increases for classified staff
  • November: CU Boulder announces remission of mandatory fees for graduate students on appointment
  • December: One-time retention payments for critical frontline staff 

Information on the upcoming increases for faculty and university staff is available in the FY23-24 Employee Compensation FAQs.  

Please contact CU Boulder Human Resources at hr@colorado.edu if you have questions.