PSO Compensation Plan FAQs

The PSO Salary Grade Schedule lists all current PSO salary ranges and their steps. 

• Three data sources are used: College and University Professional Association (CUPA), PayFactors, and Economic Research Institute.  
• 4 data splits (subsets) are used from each of the 3 sources, for a total of 12 data splits to compare the market rate.  
• Salaries from both education and all industries are compared from Bellingham, Washington State, the Pacific Northwest, and the US.  
• The specific data splits collected from each data source are below:
  • College and University Professional Association (CUPA)
    • All masters granting universities and colleges in the US
    • Colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana)
    • The 4th quartile for student enrollment among CUPA participating universities and colleges 
    • The 4th quartile for operating budget among CUPA participating universities and colleges  
  • Payfactors: This data source allows searches by job title and years of experience in different regions. 
    • Salaries by job title for all industries in Washington State
    • Salaries by job title in public education institutions in Washington State 
    • Salaries by job title for all industries in Bellingham
    • Salaries by job title in public education institutions in Bellingham 
  • Economic Research Institute: 
    • Salaries by job title for all industries in Washington State 
    • Salaries by job titles in public higher education institutions in Washington State 
    • Salaries by job title for all industries in Bellingham  
    • Salaries by job title in public higher education institutions in Bellingham 

A full market review will be completed for all positions every 3-5 years. Additionally, each year 30-40 benchmark positions will undergo an annual review.  

Each year on July 1, all permanent professional staff hired into their current position on or before March 31 will move up one step within their salary range, not to exceed the 16th step. Employees with start dates for current positions after March 31 will first move up one step on July 1 of the following year. Each step is a 2% increase above the previous step. 

• For PSO members, general wage increases are across-the-board (ATB) increases.  
• In the past, increases have been between 0-4%. The amount for these increases is determined by the university president each spring and is effective on July 1 of each year. The president’s decision is partly determined by funding allocated through the state legislative session which informs our university budget.  
• These increases are in addition to and happen before movement to market placement within salary ranges. Professional staff hired into their current position prior to June 30 will receive the general wage increase. 
• For example, if the ATB is determined to be 3.25%, then on July 1, each step in all salary ranges will increase by 3.25%. This is not the same as forward step movement. 

•  As a public institution of higher education in the state of Washington, Western follows the state’s employee position classification system. Under this system, positions performing certain duties and responsibilities within a community of interest may be placed into one of several groups or units. For several of these units, i.e., UFWW, PSE/WFSE/FOP, increases for staff are collectively bargained by the representatives of the unit and representatives of affected state employers. Washington state law specifically identifies certain Professional Staff positions. Salary increases for these positions are not subject to a formal bargaining process. 
• The PSO Compensation Plan’s objective is to have a uniform and consistent salary plan in place for all Professional Staff. 

An annual individual compensation letter in an email will be sent by HR identifying the process used to perform the yearly market review, any across-the-board, and your placement (step) on your position’s salary range. 

• Salary increases for PSO staff are based on the following: 
  • General wage increases: A percentage applied to every step of the salary grade (across-the-board for all PSO members). This general wage increase will be determined by the process outlined above – external market, internal equity, and state funding. No one of these factors is conclusive in and of itself. The final determination is based on the balance of all three. 
  • Range progression increases: Each PSO salary range has 16 steps determined by the midpoint rate of the range. Each year, on July 1, all PSO members employed on or before March 31 will move up one step within their salary range, not to exceed the 16th step. Employees with start dates after March 31 will move up one step on July 1 of the following year. 
• In 2023, an additional component to the PSO Compensation Plan will involve salary movement to close the gap between identified placement within salary ranges and current pay. 
  • Western reviewed all PSO positions in 2022. Given the changes in the economy and the labor market, as well as Western’s attempts to become more competitive to private market pay rates, there is an understandable gap between prior Western pay rates and the pay scale that has been identified for Western moving forward. 
  • In 2023, Western has identified the goal of ensuring that all PSO employees are within 10% of the identified pay in range. Those below 90% of the identified progression placement within their salary range, will be brought to at least 90% of the target pay. The target rate is based on the placement in the range including any step adjustment on July 1. 
  • In 2024 and subsequent years, Western will review any remaining gaps and identify how much of each annual increase will be allotted to narrowing and eliminating them. 

This information will be outlined in an individual compensation letter sent via email to each employee at the end of the fiscal year in June. This letter will detail the changes that will be effective on July 1. 

• The funding for the market increases will be built into Western’s budget at the university level and distributed to divisions, colleges, and units during the base build.
• Annual general wage increases (across-the-board increases) are partially funded by the state. 

All bargaining unit negations (including the Professional Staff Organization) must be presented to and approved by the state prior to implementation as part of the university budget. And salary increases need to be funded by a combination of state appropriations and tuition dollars and fees.  

Not currently, but Western hopes to explore a merit component in the future.  

The goal is to use this plan for all PSO recruitment and retention.  

• New positions will be reviewed and placed in range using the same standards that were used to place existing positions. 
• The setting of new hire rates of pay is a collaborative process. Human Resources provides policy, practice, and informational guidance to hiring managers and supervisors who determine the rate of pay. Throughout the process, attention will be paid to the pay rates of existing employees to promote internal equity and divisional/departmental alignment.  

The market rate for each position was compared to the salary ranges. Positions were placed into the salary range in which the market data came closest to the midpoint without exceeding it.  This process ensured that the range midpoint reflected the market average. 

Contact your direct supervisor and review the job description on file for your position in PageUp.  Positions were placed based on the job descriptions filed in PageUp. 

• All PSO employees were brought up to the minimum of their salary range retroactively to July 1, 2022, paid out 12/23/2022.
• If you believe there was an error, and you are not at the minimum for your salary range, please reach out to Megan Summers. 

• PSO staff got 1 year of credit for each year worked in your current position.  
• PSO staff got 0.5 years of credit for each year worked at Western in other permanent roles.  
• No credit is given for student employment positions, teaching assistantships, temporary appointments, or faculty teaching engagements. 
  • Example 1: You have worked at Western for 9 years total. You have worked 5 years in your current role, and 4 in a previous full-time classified position. You received 5 years of credit for your experience in your current role and 2 years of credit (4*0.5) for your previous position. This would place you at step 7 (5+2) of your current salary range.  
  • Example 2: You have worked at Western for 9 years total. You have worked 5 years in your current position. Previously, you worked at Western as a graduate teaching assistant for 2 years and taught courses as a non-tenure track faculty member for 2 years. You received 5 years of credit for experience in your current role, placing you at step 5 of your current salary range. Your work as a graduate teaching assistant and non-tenure track faculty member do not apply to this study. 
• Prior years of experience previously referred to as YIP (Years in Position) were used to place you at your current salary previously.  However, they were not used to place you in your step in the current program. That may have resulted in your current pay being above the rate for your placement within your new salary range. This is not meant to suggest that you are currently overpaid, but rather that the higher pay may reflect your previous YIP consideration. An example of this would be if someone received a notice from HR advising you are at 107% of market placement. 
• Based on the above criteria, if you still think there is an error, please reach out to Stephanie Norsby. 

• On July 1, 2023, everyone will be brought up to 90% of their calculated progression placement within their salary range (based on years at Western, years in their current role, and the market rate). 
• The goal is to bring everyone up to 100% of their calculated progression placement within their salary range by 2026, depending on budget.  

Yes, you will still be moved up a step on July 1, 2023, as long as you are not already at the top of your range. Salary will be adjusted to 90% of market at that time. 

Proposed salary ranges were shared with the Vice Presidents and President’s Cabinet, and each Vice President coordinated the review within their division, including deans and directors. It is important to remember the compensation program is a generalized approach that can be applied across the university.