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Distribution and Average Salaries of Full-Time Noninstructional Staff Members, by Carnegie Classification of Institutions, 2015-16

Almanac 2017

August 13, 2017

Of all full-time staff members at colleges in 2015-16 who were not primarily involved in instruction, the largest occupational category was office and administrative support, representing more than 20 percent of such employees. Management was the next-largest group, representing nearly 15 percent of noninstructional staff members. Average salaries that exceeded $100,000 were found mainly in the management category, and there only for doctoral, unclassified, and some special-focus institutions.

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Carnegie classification	Data type	Number/amount	Business and financial operations	Computer, engineering, and science	Librarians and other education- service providers	Management	Office and administrative support	Service
Doctoral: highest research activity	Staff members	554,302	12.6%	15.7%	6.8%	12.0%	16.6%	11.2%
Doctoral: highest research activity	Average salary	$63,810	$64,678	$67,846	$58,314	$115,175	$43,845	$37,628
Doctoral: higher research activity	Staff members	165,027	11.5%	12.1%	8.0%	13.7%	19.7%	13.1%
Doctoral: higher research activity	Average salary	$57,630	$59,021	$61,623	$51,670	$103,855	$38,616	$35,611
Doctoral: moderate research activity	Staff members	82,170	11.8%	8.2%	9.8%	15.8%	21.7%	11.0%
Doctoral: moderate research activity	Average salary	$56,347	$59,122	$61,625	$48,304	$100,295	$39,493	$34,615
Master’s: larger programs	Staff members	194,484	10.6%	7.8%	11.4%	15.7%	22.3%	12.7%
Master’s: larger programs	Average salary	$54,367	$56,835	$60,832	$49,467	$96,703	$38,193	$34,481
Master’s: medium programs	Staff members	54,470	8.4%	6.8%	12.0%	16.8%	21.7%	13.4%
Master’s: medium programs	Average salary	$51,143	$53,741	$56,201	$46,716	$90,376	$36,842	$32,570
Master’s: smaller programs	Staff members	26,075	9.4%	7.7%	12.4%	16.6%	19.8%	13.8%
Master’s: smaller programs	Average salary	$50,292	$53,228	$58,344	$43,677	$87,651	$37,296	$31,674
Baccalaureate: arts and sciences focus	Staff members	66,297	8.6%	6.9%	9.9%	15.7%	18.8%	19.7%
Baccalaureate: arts and sciences focus	Average salary	$53,828	$58,881	$61,649	$50,874	$99,661	$38,542	$33,855
Baccalaureate: diverse fields	Staff members	36,877	7.2%	5.8%	12.1%	18.4%	19.2%	14.6%
Baccalaureate: diverse fields	Average salary	$46,694	$49,288	$51,351	$41,651	$80,896	$33,570	$29,878
Baccalaureate/associate: mixed	Staff members	17,586	6.5%	5.6%	18.1%	18.5%	23.6%	11.1%
Baccalaureate/associate: mixed	Average salary	$50,487	$49,884	$52,734	$46,220	$86,258	$38,095	$32,804
Baccalaureate/associate: associate dominant	Staff members	20,473	8.7%	7.6%	12.3%	16.0%	30.6%	10.4%
Baccalaureate/associate: associate dominant	Average salary	$49,391	$50,926	$54,232	$47,139	$83,220	$38,098	$33,570
Associate: high transfer; high traditional students	Staff members	37,160	7.9%	7.1%	13.6%	14.6%	29.4%	14.2%
Associate: high transfer; high traditional students	Average salary	$56,424	$57,348	$62,342	$54,550	$98,792	$44,158	$40,657
Associate: high transfer; mixed traditional/nontraditional students	Staff members	34,677	8.3%	8.0%	14.0%	17.4%	27.5%	11.8%
Associate: high transfer; mixed traditional/nontraditional students	Average salary	$55,156	$56,698	$60,824	$51,367	$89,117	$41,882	$39,880
Associate: high transfer; high nontraditional students	Staff members	13,409	7.4%	6.5%	13.2%	20.3%	29.0%	11.5%
Associate: high transfer; high nontraditional students	Average salary	$53,893	$57,444	$57,882	$48,800	$81,332	$42,425	$40,437
Associate: mixed transfer/career and technical; high traditional students	Staff members	20,316	7.0%	6.2%	12.1%	17.5%	29.9%	14.6%
Associate: mixed transfer/career and technical; high traditional students	Average salary	$50,820	$51,068	$55,973	$46,397	$85,054	$41,124	$36,044
Associate: mixed transfer/career and technical; mixed traditional/nontraditional students	Staff members	20,936	7.7%	7.2%	12.5%	17.3%	27.9%	13.4%
Associate: mixed transfer/career and technical; mixed traditional/nontraditional students	Average salary	$50,546	$52,134	$54,749	$46,599	$82,450	$40,133	$36,119
Associate: mixed transfer/career and technical; high nontraditional students	Staff members	25,475	7.9%	8.1%	13.6%	16.5%	26.1%	12.2%
Associate: mixed transfer/career and technical; high nontraditional students	Average salary	$52,262	$51,331	$58,512	$50,175	$84,695	$39,108	$38,848
Associate: high career and technical; high traditional students	Staff members	8,247	9.0%	5.8%	13.3%	17.1%	27.4%	13.4%
Associate: high career and technical; high traditional students	Average salary	$50,244	$49,078	$55,764	$46,618	$84,319	$39,027	$34,847
Associate: high career and technical; mixed traditional/nontraditional students	Staff members	10,460	7.5%	6.4%	15.1%	17.5%	27.9%	12.2%
Associate: high career and technical; mixed traditional/nontraditional students	Average salary	$48,480	$49,693	$50,484	$47,036	$80,026	$36,689	$33,836
Associate: high career and technical; high nontraditional students	Staff members	15,641	9.0%	6.1%	16.5%	18.5%	23.8%	10.8%
Associate: high career and technical; high nontraditional students	Average salary	$51,257	$47,829	$55,810	$47,908	$81,127	$38,577	$37,908
Special-focus 2-year: health professions	Staff members	6,853	19.5%	1.7%	16.8%	24.0%	19.7%	2.1%
Special-focus 2-year: health professions	Average salary	$52,783	$44,717	$56,070	$45,120	$84,145	$37,749	$31,623
Special-focus 2-year: technical professions	Staff members	1,573	12.2%	1.6%	15.7%	27.3%	23.2%	4.9%
Special-focus 2-year: technical professions	Average salary	$50,856	$47,373	$44,073	$38,732	$79,909	$33,944	$34,687
Special-focus 2-year: arts and design	Staff members	813	11.6%	1.1%	19.3%	16.9%	14.4%	3.1%
Special-focus 2-year: arts and design	Average salary	$56,829	$53,853	$50,090	$49,066	$103,640	$39,123	$32,616
Special-focus 2-year: other fields	Staff members	1,075	6.0%	2.8%	14.6%	29.8%	23.4%	4.6%
Special-focus 2-year: other fields	Average salary	$54,278	$50,427	$62,628	$45,330	$78,331	$38,165	$31,122
Special-focus 4-year: faith-related institutions	Staff members	7,500	9.6%	4.6%	15.1%	26.5%	23.9%	11.3%
Special-focus 4-year: faith-related institutions	Average salary	$50,639	$54,841	$52,735	$43,441	$76,296	$35,655	$32,259
Special-focus 4-year: medical schools and centers	Staff members	44,782	9.6%	11.0%	2.2%	14.5%	21.6%	11.2%
Special-focus 4-year: medical schools and centers	Average salary	$68,291	$67,036	$66,712	$139,212	$116,384	$44,057	$38,124
Special-focus 4-year: other health-professions schools	Staff members	27,435	8.4%	10.5%	7.6%	15.0%	17.1%	15.6%
Special-focus 4-year: other health-professions schools	Average salary	$66,638	$65,205	$69,428	$50,797	$107,182	$42,398	$38,968
Special-focus 4-year: engineering schools	Staff members	731	7.5%	15.7%	7.3%	24.9%	17.4%	14.9%
Special-focus 4-year: engineering schools	Average salary	$59,018	$51,969	$59,629	$50,251	$100,639	$38,460	$30,500
Special-focus 4-year: other technology-related schools	Staff members	2,017	11.4%	4.1%	13.8%	24.5%	41.8%	0.9%
Special-focus 4-year: other technology-related schools	Average salary	$50,512	$44,837	$46,978	$42,994	$71,594	$42,486	$35,370
Special-focus 4-year: business and management schools	Staff members	4,282	11.2%	5.6%	25.6%	24.1%	15.3%	4.1%
Special-focus 4-year: business and management schools	Average salary	$67,337	$60,534	$70,412	$53,746	$111,403	$43,961	$44,422
Special-focus 4-year: arts, music, and design schools	Staff members	12,957	7.4%	5.8%	14.2%	22.6%	28.6%	8.3%
Special-focus 4-year: arts, music, and design schools	Average salary	$61,750	$60,393	$63,216	$50,922	$102,354	$46,647	$38,647
Special-focus 4-year: law schools	Staff members	2,266	8.2%	6.4%	20.1%	23.7%	25.2%	4.6%
Special-focus 4-year: law schools	Average salary	$69,686	$62,575	$66,715	$59,973	$118,067	$45,508	$42,760
Special-focus 4-year: other special-focus institutions	Staff members	2,304	7.9%	5.3%	22.7%	24.5%	17.9%	8.8%
Special-focus 4-year: other special-focus institutions	Average salary	$62,505	$54,824	$58,903	$56,186	$98,132	$48,013	$32,978
Tribal colleges	Staff members	2,386	8.2%	5.3%	26.8%	16.3%	18.2%	8.0%
Tribal colleges	Average salary	$41,916	$43,583	$43,247	$36,177	$64,981	$36,079	$31,317
No Carnegie classification	Staff members	20,931	21.5%	18.4%	6.3%	22.0%	17.1%	4.0%
No Carnegie classification	Average salary	$79,257	$71,571	$77,062	$53,921	$127,398	$48,411	$54,015
All institutions	Staff members	1,541,987	10.9%	11.1%	9.4%	14.8%	20.3%	12.2%

Note: The data cover full-time noninstructional staff members at degree-granting institutions in the United States that participate in Title IV federal financial-aid programs. Institutions were categorized according to the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Occupational categories are based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2010 Standard Occupational Classification system. Salaries are not shown if an occupational category had two or fewer staff members. The category of “librarians and other education-service providers” includes librarians, curators, archivists, and staff members working in academic affairs and other education services. For space reasons, seven occupational categories representing less than 9 percent each of the workforce were omitted online, though they appear in the print issue of Almanac. The omitted categories are community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports and media; health-care practitioners and technical; natural resources, construction, and maintenance; production, transportation, and material moving; public service; research; and sales and related.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data