Compensation

Compensation Philosophy

The objective of the university's compensation program is to attract, retain, motivate and reward faculty and staff fairly, equitably and competitively. The university is committed to fair and equitable compensation that compliments the responsibilities of the position and the performance of the incumbents.

Compensation rates for Faculty and Executive, Administrative and Professional (EAP) positions are set based on (1) market data for similar positions within local, regional and/or national markets, (2) sensitivity to internal equity, and (3) available fiscal resources. The market data is updated on a regular basis.

Market ranges for EAP positions are set at 80-120% of the market average for each position. The minimum rate will normally apply to new staff possessing qualifications not significantly greater than the minimum required. Salaries above the maximum must be justified in writing by the appointing officer and approved by Human Resources.


Salary & Pay Adjustment Information

The factors used to set salary, in addition to market, include performance, relevant experience, applicable educational credentials and responsibility. Appointing officers set starting salaries based on these factors, with sensitivity to internal equity. Justification for these decisions is documented by the appointing officer. Market data is provided annually to each appointing officer from Human Resources. Starting salaries and their justification are reviewed and approved by Human Resources, Affirmative Action and executive officers.

Merit increases for Faculty and Executive, Administrative and Professional (EAP) staff is based on merit. The merit pay adjustments reflect individual performance. Salary adjustments for equity, market and promotions are in addition to the merit increase.

Merit increases will normally take effect on August 6 each year. Merit increases must be approved by the appropriate executive officer and submitted to Human Resources.

When an incumbent is identified as needing a special pay adjustment due to market, the adjustment is normally made during merit planning. However, mid-year adjustments are occasionally made when justified by market and/or internal equity concerns, with the approval of the appropriate appointing officer, executive officer and Human Resources.

Faculty and staff members are welcome to meet with the compensation analyst in Human Resources to review salary information. To pursue a resolution to a salary question/concern, the faculty or staff member will discuss their concerns with their supervisor. If no resolution is reached, the faculty or staff member is welcome to meet with their appointing officer. If no resolution comes from this meeting, the faculty or staff member is welcome to meet with their executive officer. The executive officer's decision shall be final.


Compensation/Wage Schedules

Hourly Wage Schedules - The Union Contract page includes wage schedules for Professional Support Staff (PSS), Public Safety (Officer & Command), and Maintenance, Grounds and Service (MGS) staff. The wage schedules are in the Appendix section toward the back of the contract. 

The objective of the university’s compensation program is to attract, retain, motivate and reward faculty and staff fairly, equitably and competitively. The university is committed to fair and equitable compensation that compliments the responsibilities of the position and the performance of the incumbents. Compensation rates for executive, administrative and professional (EAP) positions are set based on market data for similar positions within local, regional and/or national markets with a sensitivity to internal equity. Market ranges are assigned to each position from survey sources. The minimum of the range will normally apply to new staff possessing qualifications not significantly greater than the minimum required. The maximum of the market range will normally apply to staff members exhibiting qualifications and/or responsibilities significantly above those normally needed for the position.

Compensation rates for visiting and affiliate faculty positions are based on market for similar positions within the department as well as the qualifications of the incumbent and are typically lower than the tenure track compensation schedule. The minimum rate will normally apply for persons possessing qualifications not significantly above the minimum. The starting rates will be administratively set by the appointing officer at a level judged to be commensurate with the applicant’s educational credentials, prior experience and special skills.


Compensation Market Review

The process for requesting a compensation market review for a particular position is outlined below. 

Please note, not all requests will follow the process same process; the outline below is to provide a general overview of what may occur when a compensation market review is requested. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and process will vary by request. Next steps will be determined based on the results from the prior step.

  1. A written request is submitted to the Compensation Analyst by the employee and the supervisor needs to be included in the request.
  2. The Compensation Analyst will request an updated job description from the employee.
    1. If the job description has changed, the employee needs to meet with their supervisor to make the appropriate changes prior to sending the job description to the Compensation Analyst.
    2. Job description updates should be based on the needs of the specific role and not an individual employee.
  3. Once an updated job description has been received, the Compensation Analyst will complete a market data review. This step can take approx. 2-4 weeks to be completed. 
  4. After the market review has been conducted, the Compensation Analyst will connect back with the employee and supervisor to discuss the results. 
  5. Salaries are based on external market, internal equity and department budget.

Please note: Market review findings and recommendations will help provide the supervisor and department an outline for comparable compensation for a particular role. This is to be used as an outline and does not serve as a guarantee for compensation increase.


Job Descriptions

View all Professional Support Staff (PSS) and Maintenance, Grounds, and Service (MGS) job descriptions, and the Administrative Professional (AP) job description format. Please contact Dani Kimera regarding job descriptions updates or questions.

Learn how to write a job description.


Salary Book

All Faculty/Staff

All GVSU faculty and staff have access to the salary book online:

Salary Book (as of November 17, 2023)

Appointing & Executive Officers

Appointing Officers (AO) and Executive Officers (EO) have access to the full salary book online:

Full Salary Book



Page last modified April 17, 2024