A number of different components go into making a faculty salary at UBC, including a starting salary, a negotiated general wage increase, merit/PSA increases and career progress increments (CPI). Below are some details of the current salary agreements. If you have any questions please contact us.
Starting Salary
Your starting salary is negotiated between you and your Department Head when you are offered an appointment. With the exception of Librarians, Sessional faculty and Lecturers, the University has neither salary scales nor minimums or maximums. To negotiate effectively you should know the average salaries for your rank, Faculty, department and years of experience at this and comparable institutions. The Faculty Association may be able to provide information about current average salaries at UBC.
Salary Increases
Salary increases and other economic benefits are negotiated by the Faculty Association during collective bargaining, which occurs every 2 to 4 years. Salary increases usually become effective on July 1. When there is a general increase, all continuing members, including sessionals and lecturers, receive it.
Career Progress Increments (CPI)
Each year continuing members of the bargaining unit, excluding sessionals, receive a career progress increase to their salaries so long as they show satisfactory progress.
Members who are eligible, but who are not awarded an increment, are entitled to an explanation, in writing if they so request. A PDF of the CPI schedule of increases is available through HR. In cases where a faculty member is promoted before receiving all CPI applicable to their rank, the remaining increments are carried forward and awarded (to a maximum of one CPI unit per year) in addition to those applicable to the higher rank, until they are exhausted. The dollar amount of the CPI unit varies from year-to-year.
Merit & PSA Awards
Each year a sum equal to 0.75% of the total salary bill for continuing members of the bargaining unit is set aside for Merit Awards and a sum equal to 0.5% for Performance Salary Adjustments. All continuing faculty, with the exception of Sessional Lecturers, are eligible to be considered for these merit-based awards. There are two different merit pools: one for Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty, Librarians and Program Directors, and one for Lecturers.
Merit assessments are based on a bargaining unit member’s annual report and take into consideration the criteria and definitions set out in the Conditions of Appointment for Faculty, the Conditions of Appointment for Librarians and those for Program Directors in Extended Learning. Members should only be assessed on the activities in which they had the opportunity to participate and are required by their positions. For example, Lecturers should not be judged on their contributions to educational leadership or research and tenured faculty should not be judged on teaching during a period of study leave.
While Merit is an assessment of annual output, Performance Salary Adjustments look at peformance over time, usually a 3-4 year period. They can also take into account the relationship between a member’s salary and that of other members with similar years of service and market considerations.
Your Head will make a recommendation to the Dean after consulting with a reasonable number of colleagues from representative ranks in your unit. Once the Dean approves the awards, a list of members in your department who receive merit and PSA will be distributed annually, as will the policy and procedures governing the assessment in your unit.
If you are concerned with how these awards were distributed, please reach out the the Faculty Association.
Minimum Salary – Librarians
Minimum salaries for librarians are available in the current Collective Agreement.
Please note that Part-time Librarians with appointments less than 50% or less than one (1) year receive 12% in lieu of benefits and vacation pay.
Minimum Salary – Lecturers
As of July 1, 2019 the salary minimum is $70,216 for full-time Lecturers. This amount increases each year by the general wage increase.
Minimum Salary – Sessional Lecturers
The current minimum salary scales for sessional lecturers are available in the current Collective Agreement.
