The following Merit Increase and Promotional Increase Guidelines are for Fiscal Year 2026-27.

What are the performance periods used to determine merit pay increases?  

  • Non-faculty: June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026  
  • Faculty: Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025 

Who is eligible for a merit pay increase?  

Eligible employees include part-time and full-time staff with a full-time equivalent (FTE) of 0.50 or higher, excluding students and temporary workers. They include:  

  • Tenure Track Faculty  
  • Non-Tenure Track Faculty  
  • University Staff  
  • Administrative & Professional (A&P) 

To be considered for a merit pay increase or promotional pay adjustment (Faculty only), eligible employees must have been hired before April 1, 2026, and actively working on the effective date of the merit increase.  

When are merit increases & Faculty Promotions effective?  

Sept. 20, 2026 (Biweekly) or Oct. 1, 2026 (Monthly or Semi-Monthly). All increases are subject to Board of Trustees approval.   

What is the merit pool for this fiscal year?  

The merit pool for Fiscal Year 2026-27 is 3.0%.  

How should merit allocations be determined?  

Merit allocations should be based on documented performance, with higher performers receiving higher merit increases. Supervisors and unit leaders should use available performance documentation, including probationary reviews for recently hired employees, to support merit allocations. Leaders are encouraged to review allocations across their units to ensure increases are equitable, consistent, and reasonable.  

If an employee who is new to Auburn (external hire) did not work the entire performance year, are they eligible for a merit pay increase?  

For employees who have worked less than a full performance period, supervisors are strongly encouraged to prorate their merit increases based on the portion of the performance period they have completed. To do this, divide the number of months the employee has worked during the performance period by 12.  

Example: John started working at Auburn on Dec. 1, 2025 in an exempt position. His annual salary is $50,000, and he is eligible for a 3% merit pay increase, which will be prorated by his supervisor based on time worked during the performance year.  

  • John worked for six months of the performance year (Dec. 1, 2025 - May 31, 2026), so divide 6 by 12, which equals .5  
  • Multiply .5 by 3%, which equals a prorated merit increase percentage of 1.5%  
  • Multiply his salary ($50,000) by the prorated merit increase percentage (1.5%), which equals $750.  
  • John’s new salary as of Oct. 1 is $50,750 ($50,000 + $750 merit increase). 

Why would a supervisor choose to prorate a merit increase for a recent external hire?  

  • Merit increases are determined by employees’ performance contributions over the full evaluation period. If an employee has not worked the entire performance year, granting a full merit increase could reduce funds available for those who have been present throughout.  
  • To maintain fairness and consistency, supervisors should apply a uniform approach. If a new hire's merit is prorated, all comparable cases should be treated the same.

What is required for merit increase recommendations of 0% or greater than 6%?  

Merit increase recommendations of 0% or greater than 6% require an Exception Request Form. Forms for 0% recommendations are not required for employees who are recent hires or will soon be separated from employment at Auburn. All other scenarios require an Exception Request form.  

  • UHR (Compensation and Employee Relations) reviews all A&P and Staff Exception Request Forms.  
  • The Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs reviews all exceptions within the academic organizational structure.  
  • The Senior Vice President for Business & Administration & CFO reviews all exceptions within the non-academic organizational structure.

Do reclassifications or Salary Alignments impact merit eligibility and salary adjustments?  

Employees who have been reclassified or received a salary alignment and have completed the full performance year remain eligible for full merit consideration. Any merit increase will take effect on the merit increase effective date, rather than at the time of the reclassification or salary alignment.   

How are pay adjustments for Faculty promotions handled?  

Pay adjustments for Faculty promotions will be processed for Fiscal Year 2026-27. Pay increases for promotions are not included as a part of the total merit increase limit.  

10% increase to base salary  

  • Promotion to Senior Lecturer  
  • Promotion to Associate Professor  
  • Promotion to Associate Clinical Professor  
  • Promotion to Associate Research Professor  
  • Promotion to Associate Extension Professor  

12% increase to base salary

  • Promotion to Full Professor  
  • Promotion to Clinical Professor  
  • Promotion to Research Professor  
  • Promotion to Extension Professor

Are there different guidelines for AAES, ACES, and AUM?  

  • Unless otherwise noted, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) will follow the same guidelines.  
  • Guidelines for Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) will be distributed separately. 

How should merit be allocated for employees whose positions are externally funded?  

In general, sponsored funds may bear their proportional share of an institutionally approved salary increase, provided the increase is consistent with the institution's established compensation practices and applied regardless of funding source. If sponsored funds on which the employees have documented effort do not fully fund the merit adjustment, Deans and Vice Presidents may explore alternative approaches based on the specific circumstances.  

For most sponsored agreements, salary increases are either anticipated in the proposal budget or accommodated through available rebudgeting flexibility. When those sources are insufficient, the department or college is responsible for funding the unfunded portion of the increase.   

For faculty affected by the NIH salary cap, colleges and departments should review the new salary against the cap and make appropriate adjustments to the labor distributions. 

For employees charged to labor-rate contracts, billing is generally limited to the rates specified in the agreement. When rates are tied to GSA schedules, the applicable GSA rate typically remains in effect unless the contract includes an escalation provision or permits a modification. Departments and colleges should review labor rates to ensure they remain sufficient to support anticipated salary increases and, where appropriate, work with the Office of Sponsored Programs and the sponsor to request a contract modification or transition to a higher rate. 

Who do I contact if I have any questions?  

For questions regarding merit eligibility or administration, please contact Compensation and Classification at aucomp@auburn.edu.