Admin, Staff Raises Outpace Inflation While Faculty Salaries Lag

Key Takeaways

• Staff median raise hits 3%, outpacing inflation
• Administrators receive 2.9% raise, still above 2.7% inflation
• Faculty raises lag, only 1.8% increase, below inflation
• Tenure‑track salaries 11.7% below pre‑COVID levels
• Non‑tenure faculty earn 6.8% less than pre‑pandemic

Summary

The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA‑HR) reports that for the third consecutive year, higher‑education staff, administrators and professionals received median salary increases that outpaced inflation, while tenure‑track faculty saw only a 1.8 percent raise—the lowest among all groups. Staff earned a 3 percent median raise, administrators 2.9 percent, and professionals 2.8 percent, all above the 2.7 percent inflation rate through November 2025. Tenure‑track salaries are now 11.7 percent below pre‑COVID‑19 levels, and non‑tenure faculty earn 6.8 percent less than before the pandemic.

Pulse Analysis

The latest CUPA‑HR workforce analysis reveals a widening compensation gap within U.S. higher education. While staff, administrators and professionals enjoyed median raises of 3 percent, 2.9 percent and 2.8 percent respectively—each modestly exceeding the 2.7 percent inflation rate recorded through November 2025—tenure‑track faculty saw only a 1.8 percent increase. After ten years of stagnant real wages, the median salary for tenure‑track professors now sits 11.7 percent below pre‑COVID‑19 levels, and non‑tenure faculty are 6.8 percent lower. The data, drawn from over 1,000 institutions, underscores a systemic shift in how colleges allocate limited budget resources.

This disparity carries tangible risks for academic institutions. Faculty who perceive their compensation as undervalued are more likely to experience reduced morale, lower productivity, and heightened turnover, especially as competing sectors—technology, healthcare and private‑sector research—offer more competitive packages. The limited avenues for salary growth, primarily through infrequent promotions, exacerbate the problem, leaving many scholars stuck at stagnant pay scales. Consequently, universities may struggle to attract top talent, jeopardizing research output, student learning experiences, and the overall reputation of the institution.

Universities can address the gap through a combination of strategic budgeting and targeted policy reforms. Options include reallocating a portion of staff‑level raises to faculty merit pools, expanding joint‑appointment models that blend teaching with revenue‑generating research, and adopting transparent salary ladders tied to performance metrics. Legislative advocacy for increased state funding or federal grant incentives tied to faculty compensation could also alleviate fiscal pressures. If institutions fail to act, the growing compensation divide may intensify labor disputes and accelerate a talent exodus, reshaping the higher‑education landscape.