Salary Information
Professional Staff and Represented Staff: Salary Increases and Position Reviews
There are several types of increases for professional staff:
The annual university-wide merit increase for Professional Staff
This is an annual increase controlled by the University of Washington which is usually a small percentage. The process is administered by the UW upper administration, and information is distributed to supervisors each year in late spring or early summer. Before this process each year, performance reviews and updated job descriptions should be completed for all employees. Instructions for completing the merit increase process are distributed each year by the CICOES assistant director.
Represented Staff (those positions covered by a union)
Represented staff get the increase described in the union contract; the union contract for Research Scientist/Engineers can be found HERE
An in-grade salary increase
This is an additional salary increase that a supervisor may give an employee for outstanding work. If the employee has performed in an outstanding manner and has room to grow within his/her current grade, an in-grade increase may be warranted. These can be granted to both Professional Staff and Represented Staff
Position review
A position review is usually warranted when an employee is performing higher-level duties, is at a high level within his/her grade, and needs to be given a new title and salary grade. Such reviews can be done for both professional staff and represented staff.
Postdoctoral Scholars: Salary Information
As of 01/01/2025, the CICOES postdoc salary rates for newly appointed/reappointed postdocs are:
| Prior postdoctoral experience | Annual salary | Monthly salary |
| 0 -11 months | $77,976 | $6,498 |
| 12 – 23 months | $79,536 | $6,628 |
| 24 – 35 months | $81,132 | $6,761 |
| 36 – 47 months | $82,752 | $6,896 |
| 48 – 59 months | $84,408 | $7,034 |
PLEASE NOTE: Postdoc salaries can usually only be changed on their anniversary date, so current salaries may not match above. One exception is union-mandated increases
The union contract for Postdocs can be found HERE
Classified Staff: Salary Information
Classified staff fall under different guidelines, and are given automatic increases. However, promotional reviews may be conducted for classified staff and information is found on the UW Compensation website. Classified staff job specifications and pay scales can be found on the Compensation site as well. The union contract for classified staff can be found HERE
Contact the HR Manager when beginning any of the above actions so that she may facilitate the process for you.
Academic Student Employee Hourly Pay Rates
Academic student positions are covered by the contract between the UW and the United Auto Workers (UAW). For all other student employment positions, UW Compensation establishes compensation requirements in accordance with University policy and as described on UW HR’s Student Employees web page. Student employees must be paid at least the Washington State minimum wage.
The following pay rates apply to hourly academic student employee positions within the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies. As CICOES is not an academic department, this is the only academic student title available through CICOES. The College of the Environment and other departments may employ students with different job titles and at different pay rates. See also UW Graduate School’s TA/RA salaries.
| Title/Pay Classification | Occupation Code | Minimum Hourly Rate | Job Duties | Standard Qualifications |
| Undergraduate Research Assistant | 10869 | $23.00/hour | Assist in research | Undergraduate UW student |