Salary structure
The Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) adopted a salary model for academic faculty in June 1986 that provided that academic salary ranges would be established with input from the University of Nevada, Reno as follows:
- NSHE salary ranges are predicated on the use of national faculty salary survey information.
- Faculty salary ranges are based on salary data from 51 land grant universities, regardless of institutional enrollments, budgets, or Carnegie class. [Discipline-specific salary surveys are also assessed to establish market competitiveness].
- Nine-month and 12-month academic faculty salary ranges are calculated using composite data for all academic disciplines, segregated by rank for Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor.
- Certain academic areas are subject to “supplemental” salary schedules. These areas include Business Administration, Engineering, and Medicine.
- Salary range mid-points are established at the 75th percentile of survey data which establishes the Q2 (median) of the salary ranges.
- With the exception of the discipline specific salary schedules, salary range minimums and maximums are calculated at 35% below and above the imputed mid-point, respectively quartiles are created as reference points with Q1 halfway between the minimum and midpoint and Q3 halfway between the midpoint and the maximum.
Minimum | Q1 | Q2 (Median) |Q3 | Maximum
- Salary ranges are adjusted annually to incorporate cost-of-living allocations when appropriated by the Nevada Legislature and approved by NSHE Board of Regents.
- Salary schedules for the universities are typically reviewed every four years, in an odd numbered year, by joint efforts of the faculty, the presidents, and the chancellor. Any proposed revisions to the schedules shall not go into effect until approved by the Board of Regents. (B/R 1/03) Increases and decreases based on this review impact only the salaries of newly hired employees and current employees being paid a salary lower than the bottom of the new range. Current employees’ salaries are not adjusted.
The Nevada System of Higher Education adopted a five-compensation grade salary schedule for Administrative Faculty in December 2016 based upon the following methodology:
- Survey data for comparable positions at the 51 land grant universities comprising an approved peer group is obtained from CUPA-HR.
- The salary range median for each level is established at the 75th percentile of the survey results, adjusted for a cost-of-living differential, and extended in either direction by an amount equal to 40% of that average salary.
- Salary range minimums and maximums are calculated at 40% below and above the imputed mid-point (Q2), respectively quartiles are created as reference points with Q1 halfway between the minimum and midpoint and Q3 halfway between the midpoint and the maximum.
Minimum | Q1 | Q2 (Median) |Q3 | Maximum
Compensation grade salaries are adjusted to incorporate cost-of-living allocations when appropriated by the Nevada Legislature and approved by NSHE Board of Regents.
The student compensation scale is based on the current national minimum wage and increases accordingly with the job duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Student salaries must be at a wage no less than the minimum required by law and may not exceed the maximum classification wage amount per hour for a student worker.
Descriptions of each job title and their respective level of duties, experience, and decision-making are listed in the Employer Guide to Student Employment.
Associated Students of the University of Nevada have a separate pay schedule that is sanctioned in the ASUN constitution and Fiscal Board Bylaws and approved by the Board of Regents.
The student compensation scale is based on the current national minimum wage and increases accordingly with the job duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Student salaries must be at a wage no less than the minimum required by law and may not exceed the maximum classification wage amount per hour for a student worker.
Descriptions of each job title and their respective level of duties, experience, and decision-making are listed in the Employer Guide to Student Employment.
Associated Students of the University of Nevada have a separate pay schedule that is sanctioned in the ASUN constitution and Fiscal Board Bylaws and approved by the Board of Regents.
Postdoctoral Fellow/Scholar ("postdoc") is a temporary advanced scholarly appointment of at least 50%.
Letters of appointment ("LOA") may be used for special appointments to meet academic or administrative needs and augment regular faculty positions. The Full Time Equivalent (FTE being full time equivalency which expresses the expectation of a work week as a percentage of total effort for salaried faculty and a percentage of 40 hours for classified staff) for LOAs may be for any percentage with the following limits:
- LOA's may not exceed 80% FTE. If 100% FTE is needed, please use a Temporary Faculty not to exceed 12 month appointment.
- LOA's over 50% FTE may not exceed 24 months without an exception approval.
Additional LOA guidelines are located in the Board of Regents Handbook under Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 39.
Graduate teaching and research assistants are funded by an allocation the University receives from the Legislature for a specified number of assistantships. The monies reserved for both the assistantship itself and the grant-in-aid and the insurance (provided as part of the assistantship) are based on the number of full-time assistantships. Contact the Graduate School for eligibility criteria and additional information.
The Board of Regents determines minimum salary levels for Letters of Appointment, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Graduate Assistants. Minimum/Maximum salary levels are available online.
Resident physicians and resident dentists are doctors who are continuing their medical education after receipt of the medical or dental degree. The School of Medicine administers compensation policies for this employment type.