This page contains information regarding the salary increases for Faculty and Administrative Professional employees, effective October 1, 2025.

Salary increase effective: October 1, 2025
Page updated: August 28, 2025

For represented faculty and staff, please refer to your current collective bargaining agreement, or, if negotiations are still in progress, to guidance and updates from your union representatives.

Employee Eligibility

This section explains which Faculty and Administrative Professional (AP) employees are eligible to receive the salary increase on October 1, 2025.

Increases will be based on an employee snapshot taken on August 22, 2025. Based on timing, if there are omissions or additions that need to be made, please contact the Provost’s Office for faculty and HRS for AP employees.

Faculty Merit-Based Salary Increase

  • Subject to the allocation process outlined in the Faculty Manual.
  • The allocation available is 1.4%
  • Exceptions:
    • No increase for faculty who are less than 0.5 FTE or hourly
    • No increase for retire-rehires since their appointments are not eligible for merit based salary increases
    • No increases for faculty with a pro-rated base salary of more than $250,000
    • No increases for faculty hired after December 31, 2024

Administrative Professional (AP) Employees

  • 1.4% across-the-board increase
  • Retirees on a retire-rehire AP appointment will receive the 1.4% across-the-board increase
  • Exceptions:
    • No increase for retire-rehires who are in AP positions and who are less than 0.5 FTE
    • No increases for Administration Professional employees with a pro-rated base salary of more than $250,000
    • No increases for Administration Professional employees hired after December 31, 2024
    • Athletics Coaches on contracts are ineligible for increases at this time

Eligibility Questions and Answers

Will faculty and AP employees on grants and contracts, and other temporary faculty, be subject to the same eligibility criteria as core-funded, permanent faculty? Are the increases mandatory?

Yes, these employees will be subject to the same eligibility criteria, and the salary increases are mandatory. It is the responsibility of the unit or college to determine the appropriate funding source.

Is an employee who was recently hired or promoted eligible for the salary increase?

Yes, so long as the employee was hired prior to December 31, 2024, they are eligible for the salary increase process unless there has been specific documentation to the contrary. See other exceptions above.

For those receiving administrative stipends and other salary differentials, will those allocations be affected by the salary increases?

Stipends and differentials stated in percentage terms will automatically increase as the base increases (the unit/area will be responsible for the increase).

Stipends and differentials allocated as flat dollar amounts will remain unchanged.

Are postdoctoral faculty excluded from the merit-based salary increase process?

Yes, postdoctoral faculty are part of a represented employee group currently engaged in labor negotiations. Until those negotiations are finalized, they are excluded from the faculty merit-based salary increase process.

HRS will send communications and provide guidance once negotiations are complete.

Are “Associate In” faculty excluded from the merit-based salary increase process?

Yes, since “Associate In” faculty do not participate in the faculty annual review process, they are not part of the merit-based salary increase process.  They will receive an automatic 1.4% pay adjustment effective October 1, 2025, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements as listed in the FAQs on this page.

What if I have other eligibility-related questions?

Please contact Human Resource Services at hrs@wsu.edu.

Allocation for the Faculty Merit-Based Salary Increases

Per the the Faculty Manual (III.C.10. Salary), “salary-increase monies shall be allocated thirty percent (30%) to professional development, thirty percent (30%) to superior merit, and forty percent (40%) to equity. The professional development portion reflects professional growth and service to the University. Each faculty member will receive an equal amount of the professional development portion unless their annual reviews are below satisfactory (see Section III.C.7). The superior merit portion, a performance-based salary adjustment, reflects the degree of superior merit above a satisfactory rating on annual reviews (see Section III.C.7). The remaining portion will be allocated based on salary equity considerations.”

Areas should distribute the 1.4% authorized funding for faculty according to the policies in the Faculty Manual:

  • 30% of the funding allocation (0.42%) will go to professional development. This portion reflects professional growth and service to the University during the period of review and, unless extraordinary circumstances occur, each eligible faculty member will receive this 0.42%. Faculty judged to be performing at a substandard level during the review period should not receive this increase.
  • 30% of the funding allocation (0.42%) will go to superior merit. This portion, a performance based merit adjustment, reflects the degree of superior merit above average performance realized during the review period. The amount awarded to each individual will vary.
  • 40% of the funding allocation (0.56%) will be available for equity. The amount awarded to each individual will vary.
  • The overall maximum allowed percentage per faculty reflecting the combined three components is 5%.

Allocation Questions and Answers

How will each area’s pool of meritorious funding for faculty be determined?

The University will provide a faculty merit pool equal to approximately $2M. It will be allocated based on each area’s eligible faculty base.

What is the timeline for faculty merit-based salary increases?

  • August 28, 2025: FAQs and process details for faculty and administrative professional salary increases released to academic leaders and area finance officers (AFO)
  • August 29, 2025: Budget Office releases unit-specific information to the respective colleges and campuses through the Budget Office SharePoint site
    • The data will be organized by colleges
    • There are two sessions offered to assist AFO’s with questions
      • Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Zoom Link
      • Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Zoom Link
  • By September 12, 2025: Chairs/directors return files to the respective Area Finance Officer
  • By September 19, 2025: Deans and VCAAs confer on analysis for faculty on campuses different from department/school home
  • By September 22, 2025: AFOs return the complete Excel to the Budget Office SharePoint site and e-mail a copy to julie.crea@wsu.edu
  • September 26, 2025: Provost’s Office supplies final decision to HRS for entry into Workday
  • October 4, 2025 – October 10, 2025: Salary adjustments are applied in Workday with an October 1, 2025, effective date

On what time period should the faculty merit increases be based?

Per the approval by the Faculty Senate’s Steering Committee on June 26, 2025, the following will apply:

  • For recently appointed faculty members who do not yet have two annual review reports, the merit portion of their salary increase will be based on the available reports.
  • If more than two years have passed since a merit increase was available, the raise will be based on the annual review reports from the last four years.

Increases given from the faculty meritorious pool are not automatic and are not intended to be used as an across-the-board adjustment. Careful consideration of merit and overall performance is required when determining the distribution. There is no substitute for thoughtful annual reviews as a guide to critical personnel decisions.

Who will evaluate and approve the merit-based salary increases?

The respective chair/director will make a recommendation to the academic dean (and vice chancellor for those faculty residing outside of WSU Pullman). The academic dean will review and make a final recommendation to the Provost and Executive Vice President or the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences for approval.

How will funding be allocated?

The FY26 financial budget development process will include budget amendments in Workday to allocate centrally provided core fund compensation funding. Core funds include FD001-General Fund, FD076-Indirect Cost Recovery, and FD080-Administrative Fees and Interest.

Baseline funding will be allocated in Adaptive Planning. Areas are responsible for covering the cost of increases for eligible employees paid on all other funds

May other funds be added to an area’s faculty meritorious pool?

Some areas desire to allocate funds from other area sources to merit increases as part of their overall planning. These areas should submit a written proposal to the Provost and Executive Vice President by September 15, 2025, explaining the source of funds and anticipated impacts. These plans must be discussed and approved prior to implementation.

If the entire professional development pool is not awarded, may the unused portion be awarded as superior merit or equity?

If the entire professional development pool is not awarded, the unused portion can be added to the superior merit pool.

If a faculty member who was on appointment on December 31, 2024, and is currently eligible for the October 1, 2025, increase, resigns prior to October 1, 2025, what will happen to the increase dollars?

The funds will be retained by the area to be distributed to the remaining faculty.

If a temporary faculty member who is appointed to a permanent core-funded position receives an increase, will the allocation for the position be increased?

Yes. When an area allocates an increase from its pool to a temporary faculty member in a permanent position, the allocation for the position is increased.

May the salary increase funding be allocated to a vacant faculty position?

No.

If a faculty member is eligible for the increase but is temporarily assigned to a grant or contract (special projects), will the permanent core-funded position being held for the individual receiving the increase?

Yes. The salary base used to calculate the area salary pool includes eligible faculty and administrative employees with core funded positions who have been temporarily assigned to grants.

If an employee is eligible for an increase but is on leave without pay , will the position receive the increase?

Yes.

Who pays for the increases for employees appointed to non-core funded positions?

Areas are responsible for covering the cost of increases for eligible employees paid on non-core funds.

Must faculty who are hired in two or more areas receive the same increase from each area?

Only if they are appointed to a single position. If there are separate positions in each area, it is not mandatory to have the same increase, but the increase will be based upon the annual review submitted to the Provost’s Office. The combined effort percentage of these separate positions cannot exceed 100%.

Who do I contact if there is a discrepancy in the spreadsheet data received?

The data is from Workday for employee information and Adaptive Planning for the budget.

If there is a discrepancy with the data, contact the Budget Office (christina.gregory@wsu.edu) and the Office of the Provost (julie.crea@wsu.edu).

President’s Excellence Fund for Faculty Merit Adjustments

The President’s Excellence Fund is a separate program that will provide annual salary adjustments for faculty who have demonstrated exemplary work and made significant contributions to WSU, their academic unit, and their professional field.

President’s Excellence Fund Questions and Answers

What faculty are eligible for the President’s Excellence Fund merit adjustments?

All full-time career and tenure-track faculty will be eligible. Career-track faculty are considered full-time at 1.0 FTE. Tenure-track faculty are considered full-time at 0.75 FTE and above. Faculty must have been hired on or before December 31, 2024. Administrative faculty above the level of chair or director are not eligible.

How will the Excellence Fund allocation be determined for each unit?

It will be allocated based on each area’s faculty base.

Is there a limit on the percentage per faculty for the President’s Excellence Fund?

The overall maximum allowed percentage per faculty reflecting the combined Faculty Merit Based Salary Increase and the President’s Excellence Fund is 7.5%.

What is the timeline for the President’s Excellence Fund merit adjustments?

  • August 28, 2025: FAQs and process details for faculty and administrative professional salary increases released to academic leaders and area finance officers (AFO)
  • August 29, 2025: Budget Office releases unit-specific information to the respective colleges and campuses through the Budget Office SharePoint site
    • The data will be organized by colleges
  • By September 12, 2025: Chairs/directors return files to the respective Area Finance Officer
  • By September 19, 2025: Deans and VCAAs confer on analysis for faculty on campuses different from department/school home
  • By September 22, 2025: AFOs return the complete Excel to the Budget Office SharePoint site and e-mail a copy to julie.crea@wsu.edu
  • September 26, 2025: Provost’s Office supplies final decision to HRS for entry into Workday
  • October 4, 2025 – October 10, 2025: Salary adjustments are applied in Workday with an October 1, 2025, effective date

On what time period should the consideration for the additional merit adjustment be based, and what rating is required?

It will be based on the two most recent annual review reports, unless a faculty member was recently appointed and does not yet have two annual review reports, the merit portion of their salary increase will then be based on the available reports. Faculty who received annual reviews with a rating below satisfactory are ineligible for consideration.

Who will evaluate and approve the President’s Excellence Fund increases?

The respective chair/director will make a recommendation to the academic dean (and vice chancellor for those faculty residing outside of WSU Pullman). The academic dean will review and make a final recommendation to the Provost and Executive Vice President for approval.

Will out-of-cycle increases be allowed outside of the President’s Excellence Pool?

Yes, the Provost’s Office will continue to conduct critical reviews of academic area faculty out-ofcycle salary increase requests. All salaried faculty (regardless of track, rank, and/or funding) are subject to this process. Please refer to the online form, which is required for consideration

Processing

Salary increases will be processed centrally.

Employee compensation will reflect the increase in Workday no later than October 10, 2025, and will be paid on the October 25, 2025, paycheck.

Processing Questions and Answers

If a faculty or AP employee has a Job Change (FTE, Term, Title change) effective October 1, 2025, how should it be processed?

The department should process the job change before the salary increase is processed.

If the job change is entered and approved by October 3, 2025, the employee will receive the salary increase to their base rate as part of the central processing.

If the job change is not processed by October 3, 2025, the department must submit after the Workday staffing blackout period and ensure the compensation reflects the appropriate increase.

If the need for corrections is discovered after the increase is processed, how should that be handled?

Departments should contact HRS Records at hrs.records@wsu.edu for assistance.

How will employees be notified?

Employees may view their Compensation and Pay Change History in Workday on either their employee Profile page or in the Benefits, Pay, and Compensation app.

What if I have other questions?

  • Faculty-specific scenarios may be directed to the Provost’s Office at
    julie.crea@wsu.edu.
  • Eligibility and processing questions may be directed to Human Resource Services at hrs@wsu.edu or 509-335-4521.
  • Budget and funding questions may be directed to the Budget Office at christina.gregory@wsu.edu.