Clark University Compensation Philosophy

Clark University’s compensation philosophy is rooted in our Mission and Vision, which emphasize academic excellence, meaningful engagement, and a collaborative community committed to positive change. Our compensation practices are designed to support these commitments by fostering a workplace where faculty and staff feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute to the University’s goals.

This philosophy is a key component of our Total Rewards strategy. It guides how we attract, reward, and retain talent and reflects our commitment to fair, transparent, competitive, and financially responsible pay practices that support the long-term strength of the institution.

We recognize that this work requires close collaboration among Human Resources, managers, and University leadership. Our compensation framework is built to be fair, consistent, market-informed, and adaptable, so it meets the needs of both current and future members of the Clark community.

Guiding Principles

1. Fairness and Consistency

We administer compensation in compliance with federal and state laws and in alignment with clearly defined job structures and standardized salary ranges. This ensures consistent and equitable pay practices across the entire University.

Managers must use Clark’s official job description template when creating or revising positions:
Job Description Template can be found in the HR Resource Materials portal.

2. Pay Equity and Transparency

Compensation decisions are informed by objective job evaluation methods and reliable market data. Human Resources regularly reviews internal pay relationships and makes adjustments as needed to maintain equity across the organization.

3. Market Competitiveness

Salary ranges are benchmarked against peer institutions in higher education and, when appropriate, general-industry employers competing for similar skills. These ranges are reviewed annually to ensure alignment with labor market trends.

4. Fiscal Stewardship

We design and manage our compensation programs with financial responsibility in mind. Sustainable salary structures support both the University’s mission and its long-term financial health.

5. Alignment with Institutional Strategy

Compensation decisions support Clark’s academic and operational goals. Pay practices reinforce effective recruitment, retention, performance, development, and succession planning across the University.

Approach to Pay Decisions

When determining pay, we consider both internal equity and external market competitiveness. Clark’s salary ranges are structured to provide:

• Compensation ranges that are set from the minimum to the 25th percentile of the range
• New hires with a comparable range as existing employees, which is targeted at the minimum to maintain internal equity
• Opportunity for progression tied to experience, growth, and performance

Maximums are established to remain aligned with market benchmarks and internal equity

Employees are typically placed at or near the minimum of the range unless qualifications, market conditions, or internal equity considerations support a different placement.

Internal Promotions and Advancements

To maintain consistency and responsible stewardship:

• Promotional increases are generally capped at 10%.
• Any increase exceeding 10% requires written justification from the requester and approval from the Chief Human Resources Officer
• Promotional salaries must fall within the salary range of the new grade
• Human Resources reviews all proposed increases to ensure alignment with policy, market data, and internal equity, with placements typically set at the minimum of the new grade range

Compensation Structure: Grades and Salary Ranges

Clark University’s compensation structure consists of 12 salary grades, each with a minimum, 25th percentile, midpoint, 75th percentile, and maximum. These ranges support transparent and consistent pay decisions across the University.

Click here to view Compensation Structure: Grades and Salary Ranges

Ongoing Review and Commitment

Clark University regularly evaluates its compensation practices to ensure they remain equitable, competitive, and aligned with the University’s Mission and Vision. This includes recurring market analyses, internal equity reviews, and updates to salary ranges as needed.

Through ongoing review and collaboration across campus, we aim to maintain a compensation program that supports fairness, transparency, and long-term institutional success.