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What is the Pay Evaluator©?

Competitive pay levels for University Staff and Administrative & Professional employees are established through well-informed pay decisions. The Pay Evaluator© is a pay decision support tool integrating market-competitive pay structures. It is used to foster a pay decision process that is disciplined, systematic, unbiased, and fiscally responsible.

This tool provides transparency while assisting supervisors, departmental leadership, and HR Liaisons in determining employee pay. It also helps ensure that Auburn salaries remain market competitive.

The Pay Evaluator© reflects the following:

  • The value of the job (work) - This is reflected in the pay grade. Each pay grade has a unique range of pay opportunity for employees who are assigned to a grouping of like-valued jobs within a Job Family.

  • The value of the employee's work qualifications - This is reflected in where the employee’s pay is positioned within the assigned pay grade range of pay opportunity. (See Job Families and Pay Structures.)

The Pay Evaluator© is used to:

  • Support pay decisions that are:

    • Disciplined

    • Consistent

    • Unbiased

    • Fiscally responsible

  • Directly compare employee-specific qualifications to the job’s minimum requirements using appropriate documentation:

    • Education*

    • Experience*

    • Certifications*

    • Credentials, affiliations, and recognitions*

    • Annual performance rating 

* Only employee qualifications that are directly related to the job apply.

  • Provide a “suggested low to high interval” of possible pay appropriate for the supervisor’s or manager’s consideration.

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  • Provide a framework of common terms, justifications, and guidance for well-informed decisions. This framework supports the supervisor's decision.

IMPORTANT: Using the Justification Guidelines within the Pay Evaluator©, supervisors can recommend a pay level that is below or above the Pay Evaluator’s suggested interval.

The employee’s supervisor is responsible for developing a well-informed pay decision, in collaboration with their unit management and designated HRL.

  • Designated HR staff and the employee’s supervisor submit qualification ratings into the Pay Evaluator© to provide a suggested pay interval

  • The submitted ratings are reviewed and validated by the Compensation team. 

  • Once validated, the completed Pay Evaluator© is signed and placed in the employee’s master personnel file.

  • Supervisors and HRLs can use a PDF copy of the approved Pay Evaluator© to help explain the new salary level to the employee.

The Pay Evaluator© is used for the following:

  • Determining pay for internal and external “hires”.

  • Correcting potentially unjustifiable pay relationships as validated through an official salary alignment review by the Compensation team.

  • Developing internal or external retention counteroffers.

  • Determining pay for “growth” promotions that result from a reclassification process.

IMPORTANT: The Pay Evaluator© is not used for independent reviews of employees’ salaries outside of these pay actions.

  • The Pay Evaluator© does not take the following into account:

    • Non-work related life experience

    • Gender

    • Sex

    • Nationality

    • Race

    • Identity

    • Ethnicity

    • Age

    • Political affiliation

    • Sexual orientation

    • Gender expression

    • Gender identity

    • Socioeconomic status

    • Veteran status

    • Disability

    • Neurodiversity

    • Religion

  • Pay decisions require the following:

    • Two levels of direct supervisory/managerial approval signatures within the relevant organizational hierarchy.

    • A signature by the designated HRL.

    • Each division may have additional approval signature requirements.

  • Funding and approval of pay actions are the responsibility of the divisional leadership in accordance with established operating budget funding policies and procedures.

Email univhr@auburn.edu or contact a member of the University Human Resources Compensation team.

Last updated: 08/08/2023