Salary and Pay Structures

Salary and pay band structures provide a vital framework for ensuring consistency, transparency, and alignment in compensation; however, they are not the sole factor in determining pay. Thoughtful, individualized evaluations of each position and employee remain essential as differences in specialization, responsibilities, skills, and experience may justify variations in pay within the established ranges. Upholding equity and fairness require balancing the structure’s guidance with careful consideration of individual circumstances, allowing Virginia Tech’s compensation practices to remain both consistent and adaptable. Refer to the Pay Philosophy page for additional factors used to determine a position’s compensation. Select the following links to view pay and salary information for various university positions. 

• Faculty
  • A/P faculty
  • T&R faculty
• Graduate Assistantships
• Staff
• Wage
  • Non-student wage
  • Student wage

Faculty Pay Structures

A/P Faculty

Market Reference Ranges (MRRs) are used for A/P faculty positions and are informed by information on similar positions and roles in the market and are intended to guide Senior Management Areas as one of the factors to consider when determining pay for an A/P faculty position. Unlike staff and non-student wage pay structures, employees whose positions fall under the MRRs may be paid below or above their assigned ranges based on a holistic evaluation of employee qualifications and position requirements. 

Effective date: July 25, 2025

*Note: Range 1C was removed to adjust to the Department of Labor FLSA salarythreshold minimum for exempt positions as of July 1, 2024.

Teaching and Research

For information on Teaching and Research (T&R) faculty compensation, including faculty ranks, promotion and tenure, and other factors that impact pay for employees in these positions, review the Faculty Handbook. For questions, contact your HR representative or Faculty Affairs.

Graduate Assistants

One of the most common sources of funding for graduate students are assistantships, which can support general administrative duties, teaching, or research projects. Assistantship policies are documented in Virginia Tech's Policy No. 6210: Management of Graduate Assistantships and Tuition Remission. A full assistantship requires a student to work for 20 hours per week on average. Departments may also offer partial assistantships. Visit the Graduate School site for more information on assistantships.

Staff Pay Structure

The following pay structure – organized into Pay Bands – for full-time, benefits-eligible staff employees is based on the structure defined by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. Virginia Tech leads the state staff structure minimums in Pay Bands 1-3, while Pay Bands 4-9 defer to the state structure. University and classified staff positions are assigned a role title that aligns with the pay bands below. For further classification guidance, go to the university compensation classification page. For additional information, see the staff pay practices page.

Effective date: June 10, 2025

Wage

Non-student wage

Like the staff pay structure, the following pay structure – organized into Pay Bands – for non-student wage positions is based on the structure defined by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. Virginia Tech defers to the state staff structure minimums and maximums and converts them to an hourly rate. Non-student wage positions are assigned a role title that aligns with the pay bands below, aligning with staff positions. For further classification guidance, go to the university compensation classification page.

Effective date: June 10, 2025

Student Wage

Student wage pay structure is divided into three levels with established minimum pay rates. Levels are identified as Basic to Intermediate, Intermediate, and Intermediate to Advanced. Factors should be considered when determining the appropriate level and corresponding minimum pay. Supervisors should select the level that most closely represents the student employment relationship based on the factor descriptions provided. Senior Management Areas are encouraged to further define these categories to best meet their individual department needs while using the three pay levels.

Effective date: January 1, 2025 (Fall/Spring Semester)