Compensation

Faculty Compensation Program Review

The academic market study was conducted to better align faculty members’ salaries with the market and strengthen Tech’s ability to attract and retain the best faculty across all categories.

The faculty component, a collaborative effort between Human Resources, academic leadership, and Business and Administration, was completed in June 2022. Compensation adjustments are being implemented in July and August. Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), was not included in this exercise because GTRI recently conducted a market salary adjustment program.

If you have a question that is not addressed below, please submit your question here.

Faculty Job Structures & Pay Ranges

The academic market study was conducted to better align faculty members’ salaries with the market and strengthen Tech’s ability to attract and retain the best faculty across all categories.

The pay scales are listed below. Click to access.

Tenured & Tenure-Track Faculty

(9-month, Academic-Year)

Academic Professionals

(12-month, Fiscal-Year)

Lecturers

(9-month, Academic-Year)

Research Faculty (Non-GTRI)

(12-month, Fiscal-Year)

Extension Professionals (E12)

(12-month, Fiscal-Year)

Librarians & Archivists

(12-month, Fiscal-Year)

Faculty FAQs

Who is considered "faculty" for the purpose of this study?

Included in this study were the members of the Corps of Instruction including: professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, librarians/archivists, academic professionals, extension professionals, and research engineers/scientists/technologists/associates. Professors of the Practice, adjunct professors, and temporary faculty were not included. GTRI recently completed a salary equity study and were therefore not included in this study.

When will increases be received?
  • 12-month Faculty will receive the increase in July 2022 payroll (effective July 1)
  • 9/10-month Faculty will receive the increase in the August 2022 payroll (effective Aug. 1)
Who is less likely to receive an equity increase?

Employees that have been newly hired, newly assigned, or newly promoted will not be eligible for an equity increase. These employees are generally assigned to Quartile I in their position’s salary range. For more information, visit sites.gatech.edu/humanresources/compensation/staff-job-descriptions-and-salary-structures/.

Are employees in temporary positions eligible for the market study?

Temporary workers such as students, rehired retirees, and Tech Temps are not eligible.

Are Post-Doctoral fellows eligible for the market increase?

No, these employees are included under a separate study.

Why is there a 5% cap on most of the compensation increase?

The percentage was selected for consistency with the staff exercise that had a seven percent cap before COLA, in order to not overly burden grants for faculty members on sponsored funds, and based on budget availability.

Why do the new pay ranges for academic professional and research faculty have a target set at 75% of the market median for their rank and discipline, while others have a 100% market median?

For full-time, permanent academic professionals and research faculty, the over-arching group distinction was broad and obscure, and did not allow for a clear market comparison. For this reason, the target midpoint was established at 75% of the market median for their rank and discipline. The 75% midpoint will also mitigate potential grant funding challenges.   

The target midpoint for the pay ranges for other full-time, permanent faculty members is set at 100% of the market median for their rank and discipline. This includes tenured/tenure track faculty, faculty administrators, lecturers, extension professionals, and librarians/archivists. Professors of the Practice were not included in this exercise. 

Now that you have completed an academic market study, will there be ongoing pay assessments/adjustments each year?

While we cannot make commitments for future fiscal year budgets, our goal is to establish a compensation philosophy and structure that can guide and serve as a basis for future compensation exercises and decisions.

Why wasn't GTRI included?

Because GTRI already conducted a market salary adjustment program, it was not included in this exercise. 

Which universities were used in the market study?

Below is a list of the Association of American University (AAU) institutions that the College and University Professional Association (CUPA) identified as participating in the market surveys:

  • Boston University (Boston, MA) 
  • Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) 
  • Brown University (Providence, RI) 
  • California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA) 
  • Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) 
  • Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH) 
  • Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, NY) 
  • Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)  Duke University (Durham, NC) 
  • Emory University (Atlanta, GA) 
  • Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) 
  • Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) 
  • Iowa State University (Ames, IA) 
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) 
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) 
  • Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) 
  • New York University (New York, NY) 
  • Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) 
  • Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA) 
  • Princeton University (Princeton, NJ) 
  • Purdue University Main Campus (West Lafayette, IN) 
  • Rice University (Houston, TX) 
  • Rutgers the State University of New Jersey System Summary (New Brunswick, NJ) 
  • Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA) 
  • Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY) 
  • Texas A & M University (College Station, TX) 
  • The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) 
  • The University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) 
  • Tulane University (New Orleans, LA) 
  • University At Buffalo, State University of New York (Buffalo, NY)
  •  University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) 
  • University of California-Davis (Davis, CA) 
  • University of California-Irvine (Irvine, CA) 
  • University of California-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) 
  • University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA) 
  • University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA) 
  • University of Chicago (Chicago, IL) 
  • University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO) 
  • University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) 
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL) 
  • University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA) 
  • University of Kansas Main Campus (Lawrence, KS) 
  • University of Maryland College Park (College Park, MD) 
  • University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI) 
  • University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN) 
  • University of Missouri – Columbia (Columbia, MO) 
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC) 
  • University of Oregon (Eugene, OR) 
  • University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) 
  • University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) 
  • University of Rochester (Rochester, NY) 
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) 
  • University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX) 
  • University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) 
  • University of Washington (Seattle, WA) 
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI) 
  • Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) 
  • Washington University in St. Louis (Saint Louis, MO) 
  • Yale University (New Haven, CT) 
What about part-time faculty?

Part-time faculty not employed under a temporary status were included in the group of employees reviewed as part of the study. This is defined as 20 to 29 hours per week (or .5 FTE to .74 FTE). Partial benefits eligible may apply to regular faculty and regular staff employees. Partial benefits include retirement and pro-rated leave accruals.​

How is full-time defined?

This is defined as 30 or more hours per week or .75 FTE and greater, which applies to regular faculty and regular staff employees. Full benefits include all benefits in accordance with University System of Georgia of Board of Regents policy 8.2.9 Insurance.

Why were Professors of the Practice not included?

Deloitte was able to match about 96% of Georgia Tech’s faculty positions in the market. In the study, it was noted that each Professor of the Practice is unique and bears no commonality to the other Professors of Practice.  Therefore, each employee in this job title will be reviewed individually. 

Is my increase on top of my promotion raise?

If your salary after promotion was still was below market, you could be eligible for the market equity increase.

Does the promotion raise count in the USG's Human Resources Administrative Practice (HRAP) procedure for determining cumulative pay increase in a given year?

Yes. Salary increases (such as, promotions, position reclassification, counteroffers, in-range adjustments, etc.) which result in a cumulative fiscal year adjustment greater than 9.9% above the USG’s annual salary and wage guidance percentage (Merit) require HRAP ASI review.​

I am on approved leave. Will my salary be adjusted when I return?

If an employee on an approved leave of absence has been identified as being eligible for a market increase, it will be applied upon return to active status.​

What are the possible reasons why a faculty member would not receive any increase as part of this study?

If the faculty member’s annual salary is currently above the market reference point, an increase may not be applied as part of this program.​

Are all faculty receiving exactly 5%?

Not all faculty will receive 5%. This is dependent upon their salary in comparison to the target MRP points on the pay structures.​

How does the $5,000 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) factor into this study?

The $5,000 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was a separate program. However, the COLA did increase base wages which are used in comparison to market.​

Does this market study replace the merit raise process?

The USG BOR has provided guidance that there will be no Merit program for FY23.​

The communications refer to pay ranges with minimums, market reference point, and maximums. Where can I find all the new ranges?

We will publish these on the GTHR website and share the link in related communications.