Postdoctoral Scholar compensation
Compensation information
| Job type | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Academic research postdoc hired on or after July 1, 2025 | $61,008 annually | Q1 of academic A Rank II |
| Academic research postdoc hired on or after October 1, 2026 | $62,232 annually* | Q1 of academic A Rank II |
| Academic research postdoc hired on or after July 1, 2027, and continuing postdocs | $63,480 annually* | Q1 of academic A Rank II |
*As of July 1, 2027, all continuing and new hire postdocs must be at the minimum for their job type: $63,480 for research.
When budgeting for a grant, please take into account the duration of the grant and budget increases of at least $1,200 each year to account for the annual NIH increases. Note: We don’t know that this amount will always increase, but it is preferable to budget for increases instead of experiencing a shortfall.
Last updated: May 2026.
| Job type | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Academic instruction postdoc hired on or after October 1, 2026 | $58,498 annually* | Q1 of academic A rank II |
| Academic instruction postdoc hired on or after July 1, 2027, and continuing postdocs | $60,000 annually* | Q1 of academic A rank II |
*As of July1, 2027, all continuing and new hire postdocs must be at the minimum for their job type: $60,000 for instruction.
When budgeting for a grant, please take into account the duration of the grant and budget increases of at least $1,200 each year to account for the annual NIH increases. Note: We don’t know that this amount will always increase but it is preferable to budget for increases instead of experiencing a shortfall.
Last updated: May 2026.
Academic overload
Postdoctoral fellows may receive overload pay to teach a maximum one-course overload per semester under special circumstances comparable to the provision for overloads for academic faculty, see sections 2,512 and 2,690. An overload for a postdoctoral fellow requires approval from the faculty mentor, department chair, dean, and Provost's Office. Teaching a course should typically be done as an offload rather than an overload; therefore, justification for an overload should provide information on the need for the overload and how it benefits the postdoctoral fellow and the department. There is no restriction on the amount of the salary for the overload except that the overload salary supplement cannot create a salary total that exceeds the maximum monthly salary level allowed for postdoctoral fellows. The overload salary is to be paid in the months that the work is done and cannot be spread over additional months if the sole purpose of spreading the pay is to pay an amount that would be in excess of the maximum if paid during the months that the work is done.
Postdoctoral fellows may receive a salary increase no more frequently than once per 12 months. The salary increase can occur at any time during the year (does not have to be July 1) and typically coincides with funding cycles tied to the grant providing the postdoctoral fellow's salary. During the first 12 months after the initial hire date, a postdoctoral fellow may receive a raise at any time; the next raise cannot occur for a minimum of 12 months after the first raise. A salary increase up to 10% may be granted by the dean. A salary increase in excess of 10% must be approved by the Provost's Office. There is no obligation to provide a cost of living adjustment to a postdoctoral fellow when COLA is granted to faculty or classified employees. Neither the faculty nor classified merit policies apply to postdoctoral fellows. An increase can be granted to a Postdoctoral fellow using Request Compensation Change in Workday.