Compensation FAQs

Employees at the University of Rochester can grow their careers by building new skills that strengthen their qualifications for internal opportunities and future promotions, which can lead to movement into higher-level roles, higher pay ranges, and increases in base pay consistent with the University’s compensation philosophy and Pay Administration Guidelines. To support career growth, the University offers robust tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities through its expanded learning and development programming. The Career Pathways Program offers staff interested in pursuing a new career in a high-demand job paid release time for training, as well as enhanced tuition benefits.

Job levels differ from pay ranges. The responsibility and overall scope of a job classification will determine the level it is aligned to. Each job level considers the degree of organizational impact, communication, influence, innovation and complexity, leadership and talent management, and knowledge and expertise that is required in the role. Pay ranges reflect market-aligned compensation for jobs with similar responsibilities. A pay range consists of a defined minimum and maximum compensation amount (for both salaried and hourly positions) and accommodates a range of experience and performance levels. Employees can expect to be paid within their job classifications’ assigned pay range.

When creating new jobs, the University’s job catalog and leveling guide establish common criteria to determine the job classification, job family, and job level. Pay ranges apply to an entire job profile, ensuring similar jobs share the same pay range. The Compensation Governance Committee oversees decisions and adjustments to the compensation program, ensuring insight and consistency across the enterprise.

Our Compensation Philosophy defines the University’s guiding principles on compensation and acts as a framework for consistent pay decisions. The Compensation Philosophy is administered and maintained by the Compensation Governance Committee, comprised of senior leadership from across the University, to ensure it aligns with the organization’s needs both now and in the future. Our job structure utilizes a market-based pay alignment methodology. Job level, scope, and requirements are regularly evaluated against their defined markets to ensure competitive pay. Our Pay Administration Guidelines implement best practices that align with our Compensation Philosophy and job structure.

Pay ranges reflect market compensation for jobs with similar responsibilities. Ranges include minimum and maximum compensation amounts that broadly accommodate a variety of experience and performance levels. Throughout the year, the organization participates in salary surveys through national and local vendors to assess pay and benchmark against other institutions. Adjustments occur based on market trends, recruitment needs, and in alignment with the annual budget planning process.

Yes. The University promotes pay range transparency. A list of pay ranges can be reviewed on the compensation website. Your own job classification’s pay range is available in myURHR Workday, and ranges for other classifications can be found in the job catalog. In addition, all job postings include pay ranges, making it easy for current and prospective employees to see the expected pay range for each position.