Faculty and Staff Fiscal Year 2025-26 Pay Increase FAQs
Student pay increase information can be found below.
When will I see my fiscal year 2025-26 pay increase?
Staff Members
The Board of Managers approved a 3.25% annual pay increase for staff members for the fiscal year 2025-26, effective retroactively as of July 1, 2025. This increase will take effect for the October payroll. For both exempt and non-exempt staff, your Oct. 15 paycheck will reflect this increase.
Faculty Members
The Board-approved annual increase for 2025-26 for faculty and instructional staff will take effect for the October payroll, retroactive to August. The Provost’s Office will communicate more details directly to department chairs about how increases will be applied using the College’s longstanding commitment to paying faculty 102.5% of the average of our peer institutions. Faculty members will be notified of their specific pay increases when salary letters become available sometime in October.
Questions about faculty pay increases should be sent to the Provost’s Office at provost@swarthmore.edu.
Who is eligible for this pay increase?
Staff Members
College staff members who were hired before April 1, 2025, and are still employed with the College on Oct. 1, 2025, are eligible for this pay increase. Staff members who were hired between April 1, 2025, and May 31, 2025, will receive a prorated increase based on their hire date, provided they are still employed as of Oct. 1, 2025.
Staff members who received a pay raise when the College increased its minimum wage to $20 an hour on July 1, 2025, are not eligible to receive an additional 3.25% increase.
Faculty Members and Instructional Staff
Benefits-eligible faculty and instructional staff on continuing appointments from academic year 2024-25 through academic year 2025-26 are eligible. Individual faculty members with questions about their eligibility should contact the Provost’s Office at provost@swarthmore.edu.
Information on student worker pay increases is available below.
What is the retroactive lump-sum payment?
Typically, the Board approves the College’s annual operating budget, which includes faculty and staff compensation for the next fiscal year, in May. Because the Board passed an interim budget in May 2025, decisions on pay increases were deferred. When the Board approved the 2025-26 fiscal year budget in September, it included pay increases retroactive to the date they would have taken effect if the full budget had passed in May, as it typically does.
Pay increases for eligible staff will be retroactive to July 1, 2025.
Pay increases for eligible faculty and instructional staff will be retroactive to August 1, 2025.
Who is eligible for the retroactive payment?
Staff, faculty, and instructional staff members employed by the College on Nov. 1 are eligible to receive the retroactive payment. If you leave the College prior to Nov. 1, you will not be eligible to receive the retroactive payment. Student workers are ineligible for the retroactive lump-sum pay increase.
How will the retroactive payment be calculated, and when can I expect to receive it?
If you are a non-exempt staff member, your retroactive lump-sum payment will reflect all hours you worked between July 1, 2025, and Sept. 20, 2025. The retroactive payment will also be applied to vacation, sick pay, and overtime. You will receive this payment in the first November payroll on Nov. 12, 2025.
If you are an exempt staff member, your retroactive lump-sum payment will be calculated by applying your pay increase to your July, August, and September 2025 pay. You will receive this payment in the November payroll on Nov. 14, 2025.
If you are a faculty or instructional staff member with a continuing appointment, your retroactive lump-sum payment will be calculated by applying your pay increase to your August and September 2025 pay. You will receive this payment in the November payroll on Nov. 14, 2025.
After you receive your lump sum, if you have further questions about how the amount was calculated, please contact payroll@swarthmore.edu.
If I am an exempt staff member under 1.0 FTE, how will I receive my annual increase and lump-sum payment?
Exempt staff under 1.0 FTE will receive their increase and retroactive lump-sum payment based on their payment schedule. For example, if your work year starts mid-August, your annual increase will be effective Sept. 1; your October pay-cycle payment will reflect your increase, and you will receive your lump-sum payment on Nov. 14.
Will my retroactive payment include College retirement contributions?
Yes, you will also receive a retroactive lump-sum payment reflecting the standard College retirement contribution in your TIAA retirement account.
How will the retroactive payment be taxed?
Your retroactive payment will be taxed at the regular rate of federal, state, and local taxes. It will show up in Box 1 of your 2025 W-2. It is not considered a “bonus” payment for tax purposes.
What pay increases will student workers receive?
Effective Sept. 28, all hourly student positions will have an hourly pay increase of $0.50, which is between 2.8%–3.3%, depending on the student wage tier. Active, hourly student workers hired prior to Sept. 28, 2025, will not need to be rehired to receive the $0.50 increase. The updated hourly wage for each position will be automatically applied to hours worked beginning with the timesheet due on Oct. 13, 2025, which reflects the pay period between Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, and Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Students are ineligible for the retroactive lump-sum pay increase. See the student employment policy webpage for more information on student wage tiers.
